Debate over the scientific evidence on alternative medicine hit Australian shores this week when Australian science magazine COSMOS republished an article that sparked a libel case in the UK.

The act was done as part of an international campaign to keep libel laws out of science.

British Chiropractic Association, or BCA, brought the libel case against chiropractic skeptic Simon Singh over an article he wrote for the Guardian last year.

The article was critical of the BCA’s claim that spinal manipulation can effectively treat children with colic and asthma.

Legal scholars and scientific journalists in Australia have watched the unfolding developments of the Singh case over the past year with interest, with some concerned the case could lead Australian writers to self-censor or even become victims of a libel suit brought under UK laws.

2ser’s Biwa Kwan reports.