About the event:
Across the world, government officials and powerful individuals who want to silence journalists are turning increasingly to the law itself. Abusive defamation lawsuits, "foreign-agent" laws, and coordinated litigation have become a primary tool of repression, sometimes more effective than overt censorship or criminal prosecutions.
Drawing on Media Defence's work supporting more than 2,000 cases across some 120 countries since 2008, this lecture examines how judicial harassment operates in practice, and how a combination of emergency support and strategic litigation before apex, regional courts and UN mechanisms can be used to push back. It considers landmark rulings defining judicial harassment, the rise of SLAPPs, and the role of a global network of media lawyers in building legal precedents. The lecture closes by reflecting on what protecting free expression requires of courts, lawyers, and the wider legal community.
About the speaker:
Carlos Gaio is the Chief Executive of Media Defence, a London-based non-governmental organisation providing legal support to journalists and independent media worldwide. He joined its legal team in 2020 and was appointed CEO in 2023. He previously spent ten years as a senior lawyer at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and has worked with human rights organisations in the United Kingdom and Brazil, specialising in international human rights litigation. He holds an MA in International Relations and is a member of the Brazilian Bar.
Practical information:
The seminar will be in English. Due to limited space, participants will have to register prior to the seminar.