Simon Singh, British author of Fermat’s Last Theorem, The Code Book, and Big Bang, is being sued by the British Chiropractic Association for daring to suggest that there is no evidence supporting the use of chiropractic to treat childhood conditions.
He is, of course, correct. Chiropractic is utter bullshit with no theoretical framework to support its outlandish claims. That lack, however, is not enough to stop the BCA from attempting to intimidate Singh by dragging him into the Royal Courts of Justice and suing for libel. The tactic usually works against journalists because of the crushing costs, but Singh can rely on the revenues from a few bestsellers to pay for his defense.
The account is best told by Singh himself at the Sense About Science site. Read it and weep, but be thankful that the libel laws here are more sane. Can you imagine the result of Blackwell v. Wyeth (a thimerosal/autism lawsuit) if ti had been heard in England?
If you’d like to show your support, joing Singh’s Facebok group, For Simon Singh and Free Speech.