Third anti-SLAPP workshop in Slovakia held in Košice

On the 5th of December 20023, MEMO 98 organised the third workshop “Čo sú šikanózne žaloby SLAPP a prečo predstavujú problém pre slobodu slova a verejný diskurz?” (What are SLAPP harassment lawsuit and why are they a problem for freedom of speech and public discourse?) with the support of Slovak Bar Association and the Law faculty of the University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik in Košice. 

The seminar was held in-person by PATFox local expert, legal expert, JUDr. Tomáš Langer LL.M, specialised in the media-related cases, with a first-hand experience with dozens of SLAPP-related and similar lawsuits.

The workshop was structured around three sessions. The first session focused on the new phenomenon of SLAPP as it is still a relatively new concept, even within the legal commuity.  

Then the workshop attempted to shed more legal light into the SLAPP phenomenon - its international context, presenting the current international legal framework, and a discussion about the draft EU Directive, outlining its development since the oficial introduction in April 2022, with its latest final adjustments in the second part of 2023.

Even more importantly, the workshop focused on particular specifics of the Slovak legal reality – providing a more thorough and explanatory insights of Slovak legal applicable institutes; as well as focusing on the analysis of some relevant cases, in particular the case of Slovak expert-based project www.konspiratori.sk.

The event was attended by 10 lawyers, and 1 editor-in-chief of a most important regional newspaper (Korzár).

The programme is available here