Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation: Equality
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has conducted an equality impact assessment on the current 'economic crime' limitation of anti-SLAPP measures; and whether he has assessed the potentially disproportionate impact of that limitation on women and minority groups, who may be targeted for non-economic social advocacy.
Answered by Sarah Sackman
The Government implemented the Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) in June 2025, which provides protection against SLAPPs relating to economic crime. The equalities impacts of those measures were considered at the time of their introduction.
The Government recognises that SLAPPs can arise across a wider range of cases beyond economic crime and is considering all options for reform to ensure that all forms of SLAPPs are addressed appropriately.
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