Slapps used to silence whistleblowers should be outlawed, says group of MPs

The Royal Courts of Justice, London. Strategic litigation against public participation (Slapps) are often used to try to stop journalists or campaigners from exposing wrongdoing. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA

Excessive legal threats used to silence those who tried to expose the Post Office Horizon scandal and allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed should be outlawed, a cross-party group of MPs have said.

MPs raised a series of cases, documented by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, where media outlets and whistleblowers have been prevented from publishing material that they believed was in the public interest.