Last summer, the British Chiropractic Association filed a libel suit against science journalist Simon Singh for writing that the association “happily promotes bogus treatments.” In May, the two parties met for a preliminary hearing. Singh lost the first round, but has since won the support of thousands of scientists, journalists, parliamentarians and others who say that British libel laws are stifling scientific debate.

The brouhaha began in April 2008, when Singh wrote an article for The Guardian's comment page in which he criticized the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) for offering up chiropractic as an effective treatment for childhood maladies such as asthma and colic. The article coincided with both Chiropractic Awareness Week and the release of Singh's book, Trick or Treatment: Alternative Medicine on Trial. “I thought it was quite an interesting, important and well-researched article,” Singh said in an online statement, “but, unfortunately, the British Chiropractic Association claimed I had defamed their reputation.”

The BCA demanded an apology and a retraction. The Guardian offered to publish a 500-word response or to print a clarification. When an agreement could not be reached, the BCA decided to sue Singh (rather than the newspaper) as an “act of last resort.”

The May hearing was an attempt to ferret out exactly what Singh meant by “bogus.” The BCA alleges that Singh implied that the association “deliberately promotes fraudulent chiropractic treatments.” Singh, however, claims that he simply meant that the treatments are not evidence based. The judge sided with the BCA, but Singh plans to appeal the ruling.

Singh's case has sparked calls for reform of British libel laws, which place the burden of proof on the defendant rather than on the plaintiff. In June, the British organization Sense About Science published a statement arguing that the laws “have a chilling effect, which deters scientists, journalists and science writers from engaging in important disputes.” At press time, the statement had more than 12,000 signatures.

Speaking out: Simon Singh Credit: Suki Dhanda

Some suspect that the BCA's lawsuit might actually be backfiring and causing people to criticize it. According to Steven Novella, a Yale neurologist and frequent blogger, “The more you try to push it down, the more it will bubble up.”