
Big Ideas Why we need to cancel cancel culture — with defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou
Nov 3, 2025
Sue Chrysanthou, a senior defamation barrister and King's Counsel, tackles the pressing issue of cancel culture. She defines it as a form of public shaming that stifles debate and imposes permanent stigmas through repetitive labeling. Drawing parallels to historical ostracism and the Salem witch trials, she emphasizes the importance of structured debate over mob rule. Chrysanthou advocates for civil discourse, protection of free speech at universities, and legal remedies against unjust public humiliation. Her insights challenge the moral fabric of modern accountability.
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Cancel Culture Defined And Condemned
- Cancel culture is public shaming meant to permanently degrade a person's social status.
- Sue Chrysanthou argues it eschews rational debate and corrodes public and academic life.
Permanent Labels From Repetition
- Labels from repeated name-calling become permanent stigmas online.
- Terms like "sex pest" or "disgraced" stick and function as lifelong punishments.
History Shows Procedural Safeguards Mattered
- Historical practices like ostracism had formal processes and limits unlike modern online mobs.
- Ancient democratic rituals contrast with today's spontaneous, unaccountable cancel mobs.


