The editor of the British Medical Journal, Fiona Godlee, writes that “organized sceptism,” or the “requirement that scientific claims be exposed to critical scrutiny before they are accepted” is one of the basic tenets of good science.Yet in the UK, where a firestorm is raging over libel lawsuits being used to silence scientific debate, that “critical scrutiny” could land a skeptic in court.
Right now, the legal case garnering the most attention involves British journalist Simon Singh, author of a Guardian article that strongly questioned the benefits of chiropractic treatments for some pediatric problems. Singh, who is also co-author of the book “Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial” wrote;
“The British Chiropractic Association claims that their members can help treat children with colic, sleeping and feeding problems, frequent ear infections, asthma and prolonged crying, even though there is not a jot of evidence. This organisation is the respectable face of the chiropractic profession and yet it happily promotes bogus treatments.”
The British Chiropractic Association demanded that The Guardian print a retraction of Singh’s article. The newspaper refused to retract the piece but offered the group the opportunity to publish a rebuttal. Instead, they chose to sue Singh for libel. The BCA claims that the wording of the article would lead the public to believe that the chiropractic group was being consciously dishonest.
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