Pennsylvania § 8340.12 Declaration of policy

Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 8340.12 — Declaration of policy

Pennsylvania § 8340.12

JurisdictionPennsylvania

Title 42JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE

PartPART VII

Ch. 83PARTICULAR RIGHTS AND IMMUNITIES

Subch.PROTECTED PUBLIC EXPRESSION

This text of Pennsylvania § 8340.12 (Declaration of policy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 8340.12 (2026).

Text

The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1)There has been a disturbing increase in lawsuits brought primarily to chill the valid exercise of protected public expression.

(2)It is in the public interest to encourage continued participation in matters of public significance. This participation should not be chilled through abuse of the judicial process.

(3)This subchapter:

(i)grants immunity to those groups or parties exercising the rights to protected public expression; and

(ii)awards attorney fees to parties that are forced to defend against meritless claims arising from the exercise of the rights to protected public expression.

(4)Broad construction of this subchapter will implement the goals under paragraphs (2) and (3).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) There has been a disturbing increase in lawsuits brought primarily to chill the valid exercise of protected public expression.

(2) It is in the public interest to encourage continued participation in matters of public significance. This participation should not be chilled through abuse of the judicial process.

(3) This subchapter:

(i) grants immunity to those groups or parties exercising the rights to protected public expression; and

(ii) awards attorney fees to parties that are forced to defend against meritless claims arising from the exercise of the rights to protected public expression.

(4) Broad construction of this subchapter will implement the goals under paragraphs (2) and (3).