UK Chiropractors in Crisis

You may have been aware of the recent libel case in the UK courts concerning the British Chiropractic Association and the British science writer Simon Singh. The preliminary hearing for the libel case brought against Simon Singh by the British Chiropractic Association was heard in early May.
Mr Justice Eady held:
1. that what Dr Singh had published was defamatory of the BCA in exactly the way the BCA had claimed; and
2. that Dr Singh’s allegations were not comment but were serious defamatory allegations of fact against the BCA.
Dr Singh’s application for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal was refused by the Judge. Dr Singh has indicated, however, that he proposes to challenge that decision at the Court of Appeal and he now has three weeks to lodge that challenge.
Mr Justice Eady ordered Dr Singh to pay the BCA’s costs of the hearing within 28 days.
Since then there has been a great deal of interest in the sceptical, scientific community regarding this case.
A legal blogger "Jack of Kent" Has this on his blog.
This is the offical text of the ruling of the English High Court on the question of meaning at the preliminary hearing of British Chiropractic Association v Simon Singh on 7 May 2009.
The scientists are concerned because of the libel laws in Britain are so severe that any scientific challenge to a claim made by a person or organisation whether scientific or pseudoscientific can possibly be defamatory.
Dr, Singh has decided to appeal. He has this to say.
Since then many complaints have gone in about the claims made by Chiropractors in particularly their claim to "fix" childhood asthma, colic, whiplash.
Their is one big Chiropractic comglomerate McTimoney Chiropractors that have sent a "secret" email to all of their members. The secret letter is below.
So it seems that this ruling has come back to bite the British Chiropractors.
A secret letter to chiropractors.
Keep libel laws out of science
I will keep you all updated on this case as it progresses.