IF YOU have ever been tempted to call alternative medicine 鈥渂ogus鈥�, choose your words with care. You could be sued for defamation. That鈥檚 the message from a ruling in the High Court in London that censured science writer Simon Singh for claiming that the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) promoted 鈥渂ogus鈥� treatments.
Chiropractic is a system of alternative and complementary medicine that treats illnesses by manipulating the spine. Singh made the comment in an article in London newspaper The Guardian in April 2008. The BCA asked him to retract the statement, which it said was wrong and damaging to its reputation. Singh refused, so the BCA sued him for libel.
In a pre-trial hearing last week, the judge ruled that Singh was saying the BCA had knowingly made false claims. He rejected Singh鈥檚 defence that it was fair comment. 鈥淭he judge has given us a meaning [of bogus] that is very extreme and that I never intended,鈥� Singh told 快猫短视频.
Advertisement
鈥淭he judge has given us a meaning of bogus that is very extreme and that I never intended鈥�
Some and see the ruling as a landmark as it could restrict freedom of speech to criticise alternative medicine, and not just in England. People from all over the world are using English libel law to silence their critics (see 鈥淒on鈥檛 criticize, or we鈥檒l sue鈥�).
BCA president Tony Metcalf that the judge had protected the BCA鈥檚 integrity.
