libel tourist
n. A person who sues for libel in a foreign country, particularly one that has libel laws favorable to the plaintiff.
Other Forms
Examples
2010
The committee also wants it to be made more difficult for foreign "libel tourists" and big companies to bring British libel actions.
—David Leigh, “In the line of fire: 'toothless' PCC and the cost of libel,” The Guardian, February 24, 2010
2009
England has long been a mecca for aggrieved people from around the world who want to sue for libel. Russian oligarchs, Saudi businessmen, multinational corporations, American celebrities — all have made their way to London's courts, where jurisdiction is easy to obtain and libel laws are heavily weighted in favor of complainants….The justice secretary, Jack Straw, said recently that he was alarmed about ''libel tourism.''
—Sarah Lyall, “Britain, Long A Libel Mecca, Reviews Laws,” The New York Times, December 11, 2009
1997 (earliest)
Prominent figures around the world, in the United States and especially Russia, are queueing up to bring defamation cases to Britain, even if the actions appear to have only a passing connection with this country. The attraction is the relative ease of success in English libel law.
—Michael Streeter, “'Libel tourists' come to sue, grab it and run,” The Independent, December 07, 1997
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