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Glite Dictionary
libel tourism

libel tourism

9.5
Going to another country to sue someone for saying bad things about you
  • noun
  • /ˈlaɪbəl ˈtʊərɪzəm/
  • Jargon
translation icon : turismo de difamación
  • (See also "libel tourism.")

Examples

  • The rise of libel tourism has led several countries to rethink their laws to protect freedom of expression.

  • Critics argue that libel tourism exploits differences in legal systems to punish those who express dissenting views.

  • Many journalists fear that libel tourism will stifle free speech by targeting writers in jurisdictions with strict libel laws.

Surface Forms

libel tourism singular
libel tourisms plural

Morphology

libel + tourism

The parts 'libel' (defamatory writing) and 'tourism' (traveling for a purpose) together suggest a meaning like travelling to another place for libel-related reasons, so a learner could plausibly guess it involves going to a jurisdiction to pursue libel cases. However, the phrase is a metaphorical, legal-political term with specific nuance about choosing plaintiff‑friendly jurisdictions that is not fully predictable from the constituents alone, so it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Libel tourism comes from the image of someone travelling like a tourist to find a friendlier court. They go to another country to 'sue' where they are more likely to win, so the phrase means 'choosing a place to bring a libel case to get a better outcome'.