Peter Noorlander is a consultant to NGOs and other organisations on issues of social justice law and policy, civil society empowerment and organisational development. Previously, he was chief executive of the Media Legal Defence Initiative, an organisation that provides legal aid to independent media and journalists and fights strategic litigation to enforce respect for media freedom. Peter is a lawyer who has specialised in the fields of media law and human rights. He has litigated at various national and international courts, including the European Court of Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Committee, and has won standard-setting cases on issues ranging from licensing of media to excessive defamation awards. Prior to joining the Media Legal Defence Initiative, he was Senior Legal Advisor for the Open Society Foundations’ Media Program, and from 2001-2007 he served as legal officer and then senior legal officer at ARTICLE 19, the global freedom of expression organisation.