A reminder for all of you to sign the statement to keep libel laws out of science -in a campaign initiated by Sense About Science, and just as the signatories have surpassed 10,000.

It is vastly important to keep scientific debates free, especially within the public health domain. Scientists and science journalists (damn, anyone for what matters!) should be free to criticize and question scientific matters and health treatments without the fear of a costly lawsuit. On this issue Simon Singh^* has written an article on the Times Online, from which I highlight the introductory paragraphs:

Last year I published an article in The Guardian about chiropractors who claim to treat childhood conditions such as asthma, colic and ear infection. My views on that treatment clashed with those of the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) and it threatened to sue me for libel.

Although The Guardian offered a right of reply, the dispute was not resolved and the BCA served proceedings. At this point, I could have backed down, apologised and paid a relatively small amount of damages. However, I believe that my article is important and covers a matter of public interest, so I have decided to fight the libel action.

So far, standing by my article and fighting the case has taken up a year of my life and has cost £100,000; the battle could continue for another year, and final costs could exceed £500,000. [emphasis mine]

BCA was offered space in the Guardian to put forth their evidence and resolve the issue in a proper scientific manner. Instead they sued. Of course we know we the BCA chose that pathway: because they needed too much time to collect their “plethora” of evidence that support chiropractice and until they did, their reputation would suffer significantly.

Sarcasm aside, I hope the public has seen just how disingenuously the BCA has acted, and just how pathetic their evidence base is, and maybe, just maybe, many have started to question (or dare I say, abandon?) this dubious treatment.

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Footnotes:

1. * for those of you living in another universe, Simon was sued by the British Chiropractic Association for labelling their pet therapies as “bogus” -i.e. for speaking the truth… [↩]