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# Aftershock of McLibel
- URL: https://www.protein.xyz/aftershock-of-mclibel/
- Published: 2005-02-18T20:14:32.000Z
- Updated: 2016-06-04T12:50:52.000Z
- Description: The UK government is to review the libel laws after two penniless environmental campaigners who were sued by McDonald's, the global…
- Author: Protein
- Tags: Seeds, #protein, #Import 2024-06-11 13:21

The UK government is to review the libel laws after two penniless environmental campaigners who were sued by McDonald's, the global burger chain, won a ruling at the European court of human rights on Tuesday that their rights to a fair trial and freedom of expression were violated when they were denied legal aid. The libel battle pitted Helen Steel, a part-time barmaid earning £65 a week, and David Morris, a single parent on income support, against an expert legal team headed by a £2,000-a-day libel QC in a 313-day trial, the longest in English legal history. Their victory in Strasbourg, hailed by their QC, Keir Starmer, as a "turning point" in the law of libel, will force the government to take steps to redress the balance between rich and poor in defamation cases. Mr Starmer said: "Until now, only the rich and famous have been able to defend themselves against libel writs. Now ordinary people can participate much more effectively in public debate without the fear that they will be bankrupted for doing so. This case is a milestone for free speech. \[GUARDIAN, UK\]