A conference next week will bring together Maltese and international legal professionals, members from press freedom organisations and the media community.

Organised by The Shift, the conference themed 'Silencing freedom, weaponising the law', will allow for a multi-faceted discussion about the evolving legal tools used against journalists and the impact they have.

The conference has two interlinked objectives: to inform the public and media community about identifying forms of legal harassment and to create a support network by sharing resources and solutions. The panellists bring together a broad range of experience and expertise that will be discussed over the course of two sessions.

The first panel will debate the evolving nature and definitions of SLAPPs while the second will look at the impact SLAPPs have on the day-to-day work of journalists and the tools being created to fight back. The discussion will also review the legislative changes at EU level and whether these are enough to safeguard journalists from legal harassment.

Speakers include European Parliament Roberta Metsola; Peter Geoghegan, former Editor-in-Chief of Open Democracy; Jamie Wiseman, advocacy officer of the International Press Institute; and Flutura Kusari, senior legal advisor, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom.

The event, supported by Justice for Journalists, will be held at the Westin Dragonara on October 27. 

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