“Indispensable” PATFox anti-SLAPP work recognised at the European Parliament

Over the past two years, the PATFox project - of which Blueprint is a co-coordinator - has pioneered training in anti-SLAPP techniques for European lawyers. We have done so in close consultation with the defence lawyers whose clients are the targets of abusive litigation intended to remove their voices from public debate. For those litigation targets, access to well-informed legal counsel with a sound understanding of SLAPP tactics is absolutely essential.

As we near the conclusion of the project, on 31 January the 11 members of the PATFox consortium held a second event at the European Parliament. The event was intended to share knowledge about the achievements of the project across 11 EU member states, our online curriculum materials, and the value of the project for future work in this area.

Building on-the-ground defence against SLAPPs - achievements of the PATFox project

Lawyers reached per project country over the course of the PATFox project

The reach of PATFox training exceeded our expectations - an indication of the significant untapped demand for training we found at the outset of the project two years ago. At that point, we aimed to reach 10-20 lawyers in each of our project countries. In fact, over the course of 25 training workshops, 20 lectures and 6 other knowledge-sharing events (with a few still to be held) the project reached 367 fully qualified lawyers and 394 trainee lawyers and students.

Of the qualified lawyers who participated in our workshops, a significant proportion were working in private practice - but we also had lawyers in the NGO and media sectors, representatives from public institutions, representatives of bar associations and even a few judges attend our trainings.

Of those who gave us their reactions to the training they received, almost all (96%) said that they would use insights from the session they attended in their professional practice. A similar proportion told us that they would react differently on encountering a similar issue, thanks to the training provided by PATFox.

Beyond PATFox - the new EU Directive and future legal training

Ramona Strugariu MEP, Tiemo Wölken MEP, Cristina Lupu and Alessia Schiavon

We were privileged to have two MEPs with significant involvement in the passage of the EU’s new Anti-SLAPP Directive - political agreement on which was reached in late December 2023 - speak at the event. Ramona Stugariu, who sits on the LIBE Committee, hosted the event and Tiemo Wölken, who was the European Parliament’s main representative in trilogue negotiations with the European Commission and Council, outlined key points in the negotiations. “I am really convinced”, he said, “that we did everything possible to make this first step.”

Julie Goffin and Eleonora di Franco

Two representatives of the wider legal community then explained the contribution the PATFox project has made to future training and awareness efforts in this area. Julie Goffin, Head of the Section for the Protection of Lawyers at UIA-IROL (Institute for the Rule of Law, Union Internationale des Avocats) explained that training defence lawyers was just one part of the puzzle. “All lawyers”, she said, “need human rights training.”

Goffin explained that, for lawyers who might find themselves working for large firms and potentially asked to engage in SLAPPs or other kinds of litigation, training was just as important. She emphasised the value of ethics codes, referring to warning notices issued by the Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales.

Eleonora di Franco of the University of Maastricht explained how the Department of Law was developing teaching content on SLAPPs. The case studies and legal curricula developed during the PATFox project had proved “indispensable” in putting together new course material covering legal ethics and abusive litigation that is now being rolled out to first year law students at the university. In general, the practical focus of PATFox had really helped academics understand what trainee lawyers needed to know. “Training early stage lawyers is one of the most important things we can do” she said.

The two-hour event also featured country-specific reflections from each member of the consortium. A video recording of the entire event will be available shortly.