Super Sue Me

British environmental activists David Morris and Helen Steel, found guilty of defaming McDonald's in 1997, are challenging English libel law before the European Court of Human Rights. They call the law "patently unfair" for not addressing "the stark inequality between ordinary individuals and a massive corporation." McDonald's global sales rose from $19 to $30 billion during the McLibel trial. "During the same period," said the activists' lawyer, "Ms. Steel's maximum income was 65 Pounds ($116 US) a week ... and Mr. Morris, a single parent, was unwaged and entirely dependent on income support." The British government's lawyer warned of "one-sided campaigns of vilification."