Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP suits) and other forms of judicial harassment designed to limit popular participation in democratic processes are on the rise, both globally and on the African continent. This toolkit assesses the strength of relevant legislative provisions related to SLAPP suits and judicial harassment in different countries, focussing on specific SLAPP cases that have informed different countries’ jurisprudence in this novel area.
The toolkit provides key recommendations on how to confront SLAPP suits and provides information on organisations that specialise in representing victims of SLAPP suits, as well as key information on workshops, webinars, training manuals and other similar resources where SLAPP suits are considered.
The findings call for the development and adoption of specific anti-SLAPP legislation in different African countries as well as the development of a uniform and binding anti-SLAPP directive/resolution from the African Union (AU).
The toolkit was developed as a response to the increase in the use of SLAPPs against lawyers, activists, journalists, and academics in Africa.
The toolkit and related work on SLAPP suits constitute a partnership between SurgeAfrica and Natural Justice and is intended to empower campaigners with the knowledge and tools they need to defend their rights and confidently participate in matters of public interest. As such, the toolkit aims to strengthen the broader movement for environmental justice across Africa.
The following country research reports are available:
- Kenya
- Namibia
- South Africa
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
