Defamation Law and Freedom of Expression

Those of you familiar with my legal academic work know that for some time now I’ve been engaged in a research project on defamation law that was prompted by my concern about the devastating effect that even the threat of a defamation suit can have on freedom of expression. You can imagine my distress then at the news that a friend and fellow writer has recently been threatened with just such a suit. Amy Lavender Harris has nicely summed up the whole affair and its disturbing implications here.