European Anti-SLAPP Conference
The European Anti-SLAPP Conference is a pivotal event dedicated to addressing the misuse of legal systems to suppress public participation and freedom of expression in Europe. Organized by the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), and the Council of Europe, the conference aims to promote and implement newly adopted legal instruments designed to counter Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The second edition of this conference was held on 14 November 2024 at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg, France.
The conference focused on the introduction and promotion of newly adopted legal instruments, including the Council of Europe’s Recommendation on Countering SLAPPs and the EU Directive protecting individuals engaged in public participation from manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings. Key sessions covered topics such as national initiatives to counter SLAPPs, testimonies from recent SLAPP cases, the role of civil society organizations in combating SLAPPs, capacity building and training to address SLAPPs, and ensuring transparency and effective support for targets and victims. These discussions aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to implement and transpose these standards at the national level.
The event featured a diverse range of speakers, including high-level representatives from the Council of Europe, the European Union, and the European Parliament, as well as CASE coalition members, SLAPP victims, experts, journalists, media professionals, lawyers, policymakers, free speech advocates, academics, ombudspersons, judges, and civil society representatives. Notable speakers included Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and Gill Phillips, Former Legal Director at The Guardian. The conference also highlighted the work of CASE and other civil society organizations across Europe in combating SLAPPs.
The European Anti-SLAPP Conference is particularly relevant for journalists, media professionals, legal experts, policymakers, and civil society organizations committed to defending freedom of expression and public participation. Attendees gain valuable insights into the latest legal frameworks, share experiences, and collaborate on strategies to effectively counter SLAPPs, thereby strengthening the protection of fundamental rights across Europe.
Speakers(31)
Andrew Munro
Head of Policy for Civil Justice at Department of Justice, Ireland
Andrew Munro is Head of Policy for Civil Justice at the Department of Justice, Ireland.
Andrew Rettman
Foreign Affairs Journalist at EU Observer
Andrew Rettman is a foreign affairs journalist with EUobserver, a Brussels-based news agency. He focuses on Russia and the Middle East but also does investigative reports on espionage and money-laundering.
Beatriz Brown
Policy Lead – Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) at Ministry of Justice, UK
Beatriz is the Policy Lead for Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation at the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice and an expert member of the Council of Europe’s Working Group on SLAPPs.
Camille Petit
Communications and Project Officer at European Federation of Journalists
Camille Petit is the Communications and Project Officer at the European Federation of Journalists.
Charlie Holt
Legal Counsel Campaigns at Greenpeace
Charlie Holt is the Legal Counsel Campaigns at Greenpeace.
Dirk Voorhoof
Prof. em. Human Rights Centre Ghent University, Legal Human Academy and Member of the CoE MSI-SLP Committee on Anti-SLAPP at Human Rights Centre Ghent University, Legal Human Academy
Dirk Voorhoof is a Professor emeritus at the Human Rights Centre Ghent University, Legal Human Academy, and a Member of the Council of Europe’s MSI-SLP Committee on Anti-SLAPP.
Dunja Mijatović
Commissioner for Human Rights at Council of Europe
Dunja Mijatović was elected Commissioner for Human Rights on 25 January 2018 by the Parliamentary Assembly and took up her position on 1 April 2018. She is the fourth Commissioner, succeeding Nils Muižnieks (2012-2018), Thomas Hammarberg (2006-2012) and Alvaro Gil-Robles (1999-2006).
Flutura Kusari
Senior Legal Advisor at European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
Flutura Kusari is the Senior Legal Advisor at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF).
Gillian Phillips
Director of Editorial Legal Services at The Guardian
Gillian Phillips is the Director of Editorial Legal Services at The Guardian.
Gordana Miladinovic
Member Center Coordinator at Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)
Gordana Miladinovic is the Member Center Coordinator at the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
Hind Fraihi
Investigative Journalist at Apache
Hind Fraihi is a journalist at Apache. She is the author of the book Undercover in Little Morocco, in which she documented the rise of the jihad in Molenbeek in 2005.
Julia Nebel
Director at Luhze Newspaper
Julia Nebel is the Director of Luhze Newspaper.
Julie Majerczak
Representative to the European Institutions at Reporters Without Borders
Julie Majerczak is the Representative to the European Institutions at Reporters Without Borders.
Karmen Turk
Chair of the Council of Europe Expert Committee on Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (MSI-SLP) at University of Tartu and Law Firm TRINITI
Karmen Turk is the Chair of the Council of Europe Expert Committee on Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (MSI-SLP), Lecturer at the University of Tartu, and Partner at the Law Firm TRINITI in Estonia.
Lukas Straumann
Executive Director at Bruno Manser Fond (Switzerland)
Lukas Straumann is the Executive Director of the Bruno Manser Fond in Switzerland.
Lutz Kinkel
Managing Director at European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
Lutz Kinkel is the Managing Director at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF).
Maria Ordzhonikidze
Director at Justice for Journalists
Maria designed and managed a number of public awareness, advocacy, human rights, and crisis management campaigns. She is a sociologist and security specialist.
Marija Pejčinović Burić
Secretary General at Council of Europe
Marija Pejčinović Burić was elected secretary general of the Council of Europe in June 2019. Previously, she served the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia (2017 to 2019) and chairperson of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (May-November 2018).
Matthew Caruana Galizia
Director at Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation
Matthew Caruana Galizia is the Director of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation.
Naomi Cachia
Member of the House of Representatives at Malta
Naomi Cachia is a newly elected Member of Parliament for Malta. She is currently serving as a Deputy Whip of the Government parliamentary group, and acting as the Head of the Maltese Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where she is currently Vice President.
Pia Lindholm
Deputy Head of Unit for Civil Justice at European Commission
Pia Lindholm works as a Deputy Head of Unit for Civil Justice in Directorate-General Justice and Consumers of the European Commission.
Pierre Rabourdin
Policy and Legal Officer at European Commission, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers Democracy Team – Unit: Union citizenship and free movement
Pierre Rabourdin is a Policy and Legal Officer at the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers Democracy Team – Unit: Union citizenship and free movement, European Commission.
Piotr Stasiński
Deputy Editor-in-Chief at Gazeta Wyborcza
Piotr Stasiński obtained his doctorate degree in humanities at the Institute for Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Roberta Metsola
President at European Parliament
Roberta Metsola was first elected as an MEP for Malta and Gozo in 2013, being re-elected in 2014 and 2019. She is also the Head of the Partit Nazzjonalista (PN) Delegation within the European People’s Party Group in the European Parliament. She is a lawyer by profession, specialising in European law and politics.
Sarah Clarke
Head of Europe and Central Asia at ARTICLE 19 Europe
Sarah Clarke is the Head of Europe and Central Asia at ARTICLE 19 Europe.
Susan Coughtrie
Deputy Director at Foreign Policy Centre and co-chair of the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition
Susan Coughtrie is the Deputy Director of the Foreign Policy Centre and co-chair of the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition.
Tabea Caspary
Legal Assistant at European Centre for Press and Media Freedom
Tabea is the legal assistant within the legal support programme of ECPMF, offering legal and financial support to journalists facing legal matters related to their journalistic activities.
Tiemo Wölken
Member of the European Parliament (SPD-S&D), JURI Rapporteur on the Anti-SLAPPs Directive at European Parliament
Tiemo Wölken is a politician from northern Germany. He has been active in local politics since 2003 in his home region. He holds a LL.M. in International Law from the University of Hull, England. Since 2016, he has been a lawyer, in addition to being a Member of the European Parliament.
Tom Gibson
EU Representative and Advocacy Manager at Committee to Protect Journalists
Tom Gibson is the EU Representative and Advocacy Manager at the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Věra Jourová
Vice President for Values and Transparency at European Commission
Věra Jourová is currently Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency and deals with democracy, rule of law, media pluralism and fight against disinformation. From 2014 to 2019, she served as EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality. In 2014, before arriving at the European Commission, Ms Jourová held the position of Minister for Regional Development in the Czech Republic.
Walter Strobl
Press Club Concordia at Austria
Walter Strobl is associated with the Press Club Concordia in Austria.
Event Details
- Date
- October 20, 2022
- Location
- 🇫🇷 Brussels, France
- Palais de l’Europe
- Pricing
- Varies by tier
- Audience
- Journalists, media professionals, legal experts, policymakers, civil society organizations
- CLE Credits
- Not specified
- Attendees
- Not specified