The Anti-SLAPP Directive: A good fit for Maltese law?

Earlier in 2023, the Chamber of Advocates and aditus foundation delivered an information session on the growing phenomenon of litigation aimed at stifling public participation, more commonly called SLAPPs.

Since that date, the European Parliament has approved a first draft of the Anti-SLAPP Directive (Directive 2022/0117), which was subsequently referred to the European Council – which in turn appears to favour a watered-down version of the proposed directive.  The final text of the Directive is not yet approved, and will depend on the feedback received from the various member states if it is to be amended.

This event aims to tackle the following topics:

1. Directive 2022/0117: what are its key provisions, and how are these provisions expected to work?
2. How will the directive’s provisions be implemented into Maltese law, and how will they be harmonised with existing legal principles?  Are any problems immediately evident, and will Maltese law need to change in order to accommodate this directive?
3. How do the industry stakeholders see this? What do journalists, policy-makers and lawyers make of the current draft directive? What feedback do they have for improvement?  What roles will they be expected to play in their respective fields after the directive is introduced?

Who should attend this event?

The event is open to all legal practitioners (especially those working in media law), journalists, as well as those working in the media and in organisations that aim to protect press freedom and the safety of journalists.

Participation is free, but registration is necessary beforehand.

This event is being carried out within the ambit of the Pioneering anti-SLAPP Training for Freedom of Expression (PATFox) project and is co-funded by the European Commission-DG Justice. The project partners have developed an anti-SLAPP curriculum. A handbook for core EU and international law module is available, alongside SLAPP case studies drawn from 11 EU member states, local curriculum materials and videos. Take a look!

Agenda