Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation

lawsuit

Also known as: SLAPP

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Last updated

July 22, 2026

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Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, or SLAPPs, are lawsuits filed not to win a case, but to intimidate, burden, or harass defendants for speaking out on matters of public interest. These lawsuits aim to silence critics by forcing them to incur the expense of a legal defense, thereby discouraging future activism. The term "SLAPP" is an acronym for "strategic lawsuits against public participation," and these suits were first identified in the 1980s.1

To combat SLAPPs, many jurisdictions have enacted anti-SLAPP laws. These laws are designed to prevent wealthy individuals or organizations from using the legal system to silence free speech and are intended to allow for the early dismissal of such suits.2

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Michel Thomas
…of California’s so-called anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) law, which required the plaintiff in a civil suit that arises from the defendant’s exercise of the right of freedom of speech to establish by “reasonable probability” that the plaintiff would prevail should the case go to trial.
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…of California’s so-called anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) law, which required the plaintiff in a civil suit that arises from the defendant’s exercise of the right of freedom of speech to establish by “reasonable probability” that the plaintiff would prevail should the case go to trial.
Read More