SLAPP
Law & Legal abbreviation · Litigation
| Stands for | Strategic lawsuit against public participation |
|---|---|
| Categories | Law & Legal |
SLAPP stands for Strategic lawsuit against public participation, a litigation abbreviation.
Lawsuit brought mainly to silence or intimidate critics, such as journalists, activists or online reviewers, by burdening them with legal costs, typically through defamation or similar claims. Anti-SLAPP laws let defendants seek early dismissal and recover attorney fees.
Example: The developer's defamation suit against neighbors who opposed the project was dismissed as a SLAPP.
Usage notes
The term was coined by University of Denver professors George Pring and Penelope Canan in the 1980s. More than 30 states have anti-SLAPP statutes; California's (Code of Civil Procedure § 425.16) is among the strongest. The Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, approved in 2020, offers a model law, and federal courts are divided on applying state anti-SLAPP rules.
Related abbreviations
More litigation abbreviations
- RFA – Request for admission
- RFP – Request for production
- ROG – Interrogatory
- S&C – Summons and complaint
- SIAC – Singapore International Arbitration Centre
- SJ – Summary judgment
- SMJ – Subject-matter jurisdiction
- SOL – Statute of limitations
- TAR – Technology-assisted review
- Tr. – Transcript
- TRO – Temporary restraining order
- UNCITRAL – United Nations Commission on International Trade Law
See all 71 litigation abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.