Irish Examiner view: Laws must protect the right to free speech 

Amidst background noise about the abolition of juries for libel trials, we must hope the crosshairs are kept on Slapps

Slapps, or strategic lawsuits against public participation, are customarily utilised against journalists and media organisations to suppress public-interest reporting and inhibit lawful investigation and discussion.

Is there a European competition for the most egregious use of Slapps, the court procedure deployed by corporations and companies to stifle criticism? Of course there is — it’s called the Farcical Threat of the Year, no less — and, given that Ireland is one of the jurisdictions where this freedom-sapping law has a remit, it is worth knowing more.

Slapps, or strategic lawsuits against public participation, are customarily utilised against journalists and media organisations to suppress public-interest reporting and inhibit lawful investigation and discussion. While they are rooted in defamation law, they can draw in issues of privacy, confidentiality, and data protection.