Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst causing Trouble in Paradise for the British Chiropractic Association?

In Belgium you can call a quack for what he is: a quack.

In the United Kingdom however, you cannot.

British physicist and science writer Simon Singh wrote in The Guardian that there is not a jot of evidence for the claim of the chiropractics that their treatments are effective for  certain children’s ailments, but that this doesn’t stop them from ‘happily’ selling their ‘bogus’ treatments. Well, perhaps Singh had better not done this.

Simon Singh Is Refused Permission To Appeal

British physicist and science writer Simon Singh wrote in The Guardian that there is not a jot of evidence for the claim of the chiropractics that their treatments are effective for  certain children’s ailments, but that this doesn’t stop them from ‘happily’ selling their ‘bogus’ treatments. The chiropractics, many of whom claim that their treatments are helpful in conditions like asthma, adhd and – as they did on this blog – even cancer, dragged Singh to court for libel. The judge found for the chiropractics, but Singh decided to appeal the verdict.

Libel Petition to Support Simon Singh

After the ruling of the English High Court that Simon Singh’s use of the word “bogus” must be interpreted as “deliberately dishonest,” Sense About Science has started a campaign to change British libel laws.

The campaign includes a statement from British scientists that “it is inappropriate to use the English libel laws to silence critical discussion of medical practice and scientific evidence.”

You can help Simon Singh by endorsing this statement on the website. More than 1,000 people have already done so during the past week.