The leading association representing independent media publishers, the IMA, has today written to the Government criticising its plans to repeal section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act.

Section 40 would protect regulated publishers from the risk of the corrupt and powerful seeking to silence them with meritless litigation.

Commenting, a Hacked Off spokesperson said,

“The repeal of section 40 will be devastating for dozens of local, independent and investigative news websites across the country, which hoped and expected that the Government would keep their promises and implement this provision to protect them from the threat of vexatious claims known as “SLAPPs”. “It is regrettable that at the behest of the national press, which have refused to join an independent regulator as recommended in the Leveson Report, the Government are preparing to throw these outlets to the wolves by abandoning the reform which would do so much to support and protect investigative, public interest journalism.”