New Jersey

On September 7, 2023, New Jersey’s governor signed into law a version of the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (“UPEPA”).  The law will take effect on October 7, 2023.  The Uniform Law Commission drafted UPEPA as a model law designed to prevent abusive litigation, known as strategic lawsuits against public participation or “SLAPPs,” aimed at silencing free speech through meritless defamation, privacy, or other nuisance claims. New Jersey became the fifth state to adopt UPEPA, following Utah, Kentucky, Washington, and Hawaii; several other state legislatures are considering whether to do the same.