Re-posted from Jack of Kent, the stated position of the great and the good on the libel case between Simon Singh and the BCA (details of which I wrote about in ‘Illiberalism in rational causes‘):
The law has no place in scientific disputes
We the undersigned believe that it is inappropriate to use the English libel laws to silence critical discussion of medical practice and scientific evidence.
The British Chiropractic Association has sued Simon Singh for libel. The scientific community would have preferred that it had defended its position about chiropractic for various children’s ailments through an open discussion of the peer reviewed medical literature or through debate in the mainstream media.
Singh holds that chiropractic treatments for asthma, ear infections and other infant conditions are not evidence-based. Where medical claims to cure or treat do not appear to be supported by evidence, we should be able to criticise assertions robustly and the public should have access to these views.
English libel law, though, can serve to punish this kind of scrutiny and can severely curtail the right to free speech on a matter of public interest. It is already widely recognised that the law is weighted heavily against writers: among other things, the costs are so high that few defendants can afford to make their case. The ease and success of bringing cases under the English law, including against overseas writers, has led to London being viewed as the “libel capital” of the world.
Freedom to criticise and question in strong terms and without malice is the cornerstone of scientific argument and debate, whether in peer-reviewed journals, on websites or in newspapers, which have a right of reply for complainants. However, the libel laws and cases such as BCA v Singh have a chilling effect, which deters scientists, journalists and science writers from engaging in important disputes about the evidential base supporting products and practices. The libel laws discourage argument and debate and merely encourage the use of the courts to silence critics.
The English law of libel has no place in scientific disputes about evidence; the BCA should discuss the evidence outside of a courtroom. Moreover, the BCA v Singh case shows a wider problem: we urgently need a full review of the way that English libel law affects discussions about scientific and medical evidence.
Signed
Everyone below signed as an individual unless otherwise stated
Science
Professor Jim Al-Khalili OBE
Professor of Physics and of Public Engagement in Science, University of Surrey
Dr Sabine Bahn
Cambridge Centre for Neuropsychiatric Research, University of Cambridge
Harriet Ball
Voice of Young Science network
Professor Michael Baum MB FRCS ChM MD FRCR
Emeritus Professor of Surgery and Visiting Professor of Medical Humanities, University College London
Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell FRS
University of Oxford and President, The Institute of Physics
Willem Betz
Emeritus Professor, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Chair, SKEPP
Susan Blackmore
Visiting Professor, School of Psychology, University of Plymouth
Professor Colin Blakemore FRS
University of Oxford
Sir Tom Blundell FRS
University of Cambridge and President, The Biochemical Society
Jean Bricmont
Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Louvain and Honorary President, Association Francaise pour l’Information Scientifique
Tracey Brown
Managing Director, Sense About Science
Professor David Colquhoun FRS
University College London
Professor David Cope
Professor Brian Cox
University of Manchester
Dr Tim Crayford MB BS MSc FFPH FRSA
Former President, Association of Directors of Public Health
Professor Richard Dawkins FRS
University of Oxford
Professor Edzard Ernst MD PhD FRCP FRCP (Edin)
Peninsula Medical School, Exeter University
Professor Elizabeth Fisher FMedSci
Institute of Neurology, University College London
Dr Ron Fraser
Chief Executive, The Society for General Microbiology
Carlos Frenk
Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics, Durham University
Diana Garnham
Chief Executive, The Science Council
John Garrow MD PhD FRCP FRCP (Edin)
Emeritus Professor of Clinical Nutrition, University of London and Former Chairman, HealthWatch
Professor David Gordon
President, Association of Medical Schools in Europe
Professor Hugh Griffiths FREng
University College London and Chairman and on behalf of
The Campaign for Science and Engineering in the UK
Dr John Haigh
Former Reader in Mathematics, University of Sussex
Professor Martin Humphries
University of Manchester and Chair, The Biochemical Society
Sir Tim Hunt FRS
Cancer Research UK
Roland Jackson
Chief Executive, The British Science Association
Professor Steve Jones
University College London
Dr Stephen Keevil
King’s College London
Professor Sir David King FRS
Former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government and Director, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford
Dr Chris Kirk
Chief Executive, The Biochemical Society
Professor Sir Peter Lachmann FRS FMedSci
University of Cambridge and Founder President, Academy of Medical Sciences
Jennifer Lardge
Voice of Young Science network
Armand Leroi
Professor of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Imperial College London
Dr Robin Lovell-Badge FRS FMedSci
MRC National Institute for Medical Research
Daniella Muallem
Voice of Young Science network
Professor Dame Bridget Ogilvie FRS FMedSci
Former Director, Wellcome Trust
Professor Clive Orchard
University of Bristol and President, The Physiological Society
Professor Ole H Petersen CBE
University of Liverpool
Lord Rees
Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics, University of Cambridge
Les Rose
Clinical Science Consultant
Dame Nancy Rothwell FRS
MRC Research Professor and President, Biosciences Federation
Alan Sokal
Professor of Physics, New York University and Professor of Mathematics, University College London
Professor Beda Stadler
University of Bern, Switzerland
Dr John Stevens DMS
President and on behalf of
The Institute of Biomedical Science
Professor Ian Stewart FRS
Mathematician and Science Writer
Professor Raymond Tallis FMedSci
Emeritus Professor of Geriatric Medicine, University of Manchester
Lord Taverne
Chair, Sense About Science
Hazel Thornton
Independent Advocate for Quality in Research and Healthcare
Sir Mark Walport
Director, The Wellcome Trust
Professor Robin A Weiss FRS
University College London and President, The Society for General Microbiology
Tom Wells
Voice of Young Science network
Robin Wilson
Professor of Pure Mathematics, Open University
Richard Wiseman
Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire and Author
Journalism and Publishing
David Aaronovitch
Columnist, The Times and Author
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
Journalist and Columnist
Wendy Barnaby
Editor, People and Society
Rosie Boycott
Former Editor, The Independent and Independent on Sunday
Geoffrey Carr
Science Editor, The Economist
Duncan Campbell
Journalist
Dr Philip Campbell
Editor-in-Chief, Nature
Sir Iain Chalmers
Editor, The James Lind Library
Nick Cohen
Columnist, The Observer
Clive Cookson
Science Editor, Financial Times
Nick Davies
Journalist and Author of Flat Earth News
Kendrick Frazier
Editor, Skeptical Inquirer
Professor Christopher C French
Head, The Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit, Goldsmiths University and Editor, The Skeptic Magazine
James Gleick
Science Writer and Journalist
Dr Ben Goldacre
Writer, Broadcaster and Medical Doctor
Nigel Hawkes
Director, Straight Statistics and Former Health Editor, The Times
Mark Henderson
Science Editor, The Times
Roger Highfield
Editor, New Scientist
Dr Richard Horton FRS FMedSci
Editor, The Lancet
Alok Jha
Science and Environment Correspondent, The Guardian
Rohit Jaggi
Columnist, Financial Times
Barry Karr
Skeptical Inquirer and Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
Author, Broadcaster and Scientist
Sam Lister
Health Editor, The Times
Brenda Maddox
Journalist and Biographer
Dr Margaret McCartney
Columnist, Financial Times and GP
Robin McKie
Science Correspondent, The Observer
George Monbiot
Journalist
Andrew Mueller
Journalist and Author
Steven Novella
Editor, Science-Based Medicine; Director of General Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine and Author
Vivienne Parry
Science Writer and Broadcaster
John Rennie
Former Editor-in-Chief, Scientific American
Nick Ross
Journalist and Broadcaster
Ian Sample
Science Correspondent, The Guardian
Ariane Sherine
Comedy, Writer and Journalist
Michael Shermer
Publisher, Skeptic Magazine; Columnist Scientific American and Author of Why People Believe Weird Things
Rebecca Smith
Medical Editor, The Daily Telegraph
Bill Thompson
Technology Journalist
Arts, Humanities and Entertainment
Martin Amis
Novelist
Joan Bakewell
Broadcaster and Journalist
Antony Beevor
Historian
Jo Brand
Performer
Derren Brown
Psychological Illusionist
Alain de Botton
Author
Carol Ann Duffy
Poet Laureate
Peter Florence
Director of The Guardian Hay Festival
Stephen Fry
Broadcaster and Author
Ricky Gervais
Writer and Performer
Anthony Grayling
Professor of Philosophy, Birkbeck College University of London
Dave Gorman
Writer and Performer
Harry Hill
Performer
Robin Ince
Performer
Tim Minchin
Performer
Dara O’Briain
Performer
Penn Jillette
Illusionist, Juggler and Libertarian
Libby Purves
Broadcaster, Journalist and Author
David Starkey
Historian
Teller
Illusionist, Juggler and Libertarian
Sandi Toksvig
Broadcaster, Comedian and Author
Dr Richard Vranch
Performer and Ex-physicist
Skeptics and Campaign Groups
Australian Council Against Health Fraud
Australian Skeptics Inc
Peter Bowditch
Editor, http://www.ratbags.com
Neil Denny
Little Atoms podcast
Rachael Dunlop
Reporter, Skeptic Zone podcast
Jonathan Heawood
Director, English PEN
Narisetti Innaiah
Chairman, Center for Inquiry, India
Andy Lewis
Blogger, quackometer.net
Ronald A Lindsay
President and CEO, Center for Inquiry, USA
Simon Perry
Founder, Skeptics in the Pub (Leicester)
Dr Philip Plait
President, James Randi Educational Foundation, USA
James Randi
CEO, James Randi Educational Foundation, USA
Padraig Reidy
Index on Censorship
Sid Rodrigues
Chairman, Skeptics in the Pub (London)
Amardeo Sarma
Chairman, German Skeptics (GWUP)
Eran Segev
President, Australian Skeptics Inc
Law
David Allen Green
Solicitor
Jonathan Morgan
Fellow in Law, University of Cambridge
Baroness Helena Kennedy QC
Barrister and Labour Member of the House of Lords
—
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Mental Indigestion 