Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (“SLAPPs”) are meritless lawsuits designed to stifle the lawful exercise of the core human rights of freedom of expression and freedom of information. Rather than seeking to right a legal wrong, SLAPPs are intended to retaliate against individuals, advocates, or organizations for exercising their protected rights of free speech, rights to petition, or rights of association.
Anti-SLAPP laws protects victims of SLAPP suits by providing substantive rights and establishing a special motion to expeditiously dismiss these meritless lawsuits. Under Anti-SLAPP laws, successful movants are also entitled to an award of attorney’s fees and sanctions, protecting SLAPP victims from the high costs associated with defending these lawsuits and deterring SLAPP filers from bringing such claims.
Since their inception, Anti-SLAPP laws have repeatedly protected those who expose wrongdoing, offer their opinion, or speak truth to power — this includes victims of domestic violence or harassment facing retaliatory lawsuits intended to intimidate and silence them.
