Strategic Litigation

Media Defence undertakes strategic litigation to improve the legal environment in which the media work and to secure remedies following violations of their rights.

We are actively involved in a wide range of press freedom cases before international bodies, regional courts and the highest domestic courts across the world. We bring cases on behalf of journalists, citizen journalists and independent media and as third party interveners.

Our strategic litigation covers a wide range of issues faced by the media, including free speech online, the use of criminal laws to target legitimate speech, judicial harassment, source protection, arbitrary detention and torture, and violence and impunity.

What is strategic litigation?

Strategic litigation is aimed at achieving systemic change in law, policy, practice and public awareness. The impact of a strategic case is broader than relief for the immediate parties to the case.

OUR IMPACT

Over the last ten years, we have built a solid reputation by successfully litigating landmark press freedom cases across a range of regional courts and international bodies.

Landmark Judgment: ECOWAS Court Finds Togo Violated FoE with Internet Shutdown

A chance to set a Europe-wide precedent on hyperlinking

European Court of Human Rights finds Azerbaijan violated the rights of investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova

African Court landmark ruling on criminal libel: Burkinabe journalist awarded compensation

Positive Change

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European Court of Human Rights finds Hungary’s Refusal to Allow Journalist Access to Asylum Seekers’ Centre Interfered with Press Freedom

East African Court Overturns Tanzania’s Newspaper Ban

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ECOWAS Court Delivers Landmark Decision in One of our Strategic Cases Challenging the Laws Used to Silence and Intimidate Journalists in the Gambia