INTRODUCTION
In recent years, the threat posed by strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) has come sharply into focus in the EU. The case of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who faced over 40 defamation actions before her assassination, became emblematic of how powerful actors use litigation to silence critical reporting. These lawsuits can chill public debate and undermine press freedom, particularly when paired with excessive damages claims. The term ‘SLAPP’ was first coined by US scholars Penelope Canan and George W Pring in the 1980s to describe lawsuits brought with the primary aim of silencing speech on matters of public interest …
Paulina Milewska, The Price of Reputation: Freedom of the Press and Proportionality in Real Madrid v Le Monde: ECJ 4 October 2024, Case C-633/22, Real Madrid Club de Fútbol and AE v EE and Société Éditrice du Monde, European Constitutional Law Review. Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 October 2025.
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