CASE STUDYDefence Handbook for Journalists and Bloggers on Freedom of Expression

Freedom of expression and freedom of information are among the most essential human rights. These principles are enshrined in international law, and governments can be held accountable if the voices of journalists are silenced. We connected non-profit organisation Reporters Without Borders with legal firm Paul Hastings, and its international team of 70 lawyers, to develop a handbook of decisions and recommendations made by international and regional bodies and courts, relating to freedom of expression. The handbook allows journalists to work with greater confidence, knowing they are complying with international laws. It is also useful for journalists’ legal representatives, who can lack expertise in international law, by allowing them to quickly access examples of relevant international cases and standards.

CASE STUDYCritics Are Not Criminals - Comparative Study of Criminal Defamation Laws in the Americas

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in 2019 alone 250 journalists were imprisoned around the world for reporting on matters of public interest. The vast majority of those were sentenced under anti-state charges or defamation laws, which permit journalists to be prosecuted for the content of their reporting. Governments in the Americas are increasingly using these defamation laws to suppress journalists and crack down on dissent. We connected CPJ with 12 law firms, led by Debevoise & Plimpton, to research the enforcement of criminal defamation laws, uncovering best and worst practices across 33 countries in the Americas. The resulting report revealed that 32 out of the 33 countries surveyed use these laws to continue to silence journalists who are critical of politicians and public officials. This has, in some cases, led to the closure of many independent news outlets. The report has enabled the CPJ to actively advance their legal reform agenda. They have engaged in critical dialogue with governments and intergovernmental stakeholders, including discussions with the President of the Peruvian Congress about a prospective bill to decriminalise defamation.

CASE STUDYProtecting Whistleblowers in the UK: A New Blueprint

Whistleblowing is a type of freedom of expression in which a person or group exposes illegal, unethical or incorrect information or activity within an organisation. For this reason, whistleblowers often put themselves at risk of backlash, harassment or retaliation. Until recently, despite pressure from civil society and major disclosures such as LuxLeaks and the Panama Papers, the laws protecting whistleblowers across European countries have been limited.

We connected Blueprint for Free Speech – a non-profit dedicated to improving freedom of expression – with global law firm Dechert LLP, to draft a memorandum on the legal process for creating an EU directive that could provide a more comprehensive and universal standard of protection for whistleblowers.

The legal research empowered Blueprint to inform the EU community on this process, as well as the legal arguments to improve transparency.

In April 2019, whistleblowers were, for the first time, given EU-wide protection through landmark legislation passed by the EU Parliament. The legislation shields whistleblowers from retaliation, creates ‘safe channels’ to allow them to report breaches of EU law, and aims to encourage reports of wrongdoing.

CASE STUDYTV8 Moldova

Since 2017, we have been supporting TV8 – widely regarded as the only independent media outlet in Moldova – to become financially sustainable, and, as such, a stronger provider of unbiased, high-quality news and information. Having contributed to TV8’s organisational restructuring and capacity-building, we continued to deploy experienced journalists and media managers who have helped the team develop and implement a business plan, and ensure appropriate coverage of elections.

Our newsroom consultancies on editorial policy and business generation helped TV8 improve its programming, increase its audiences across all platforms and diversify its revenue to include commercial activities. As a result, TV8 has strengthened its financial sustainability and its ability to continue to hold power to account, to become one of the country’s most trusted sources of political news.

In December 2018, TV8 received the Special Award ‘Evolution of the Year’ from the Chisinau Press Club at the Press Gala organised by the Independent Journalism Centre.

Our work with TV8 is supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of the UK government.