Epilepsy Society shortlisted for top award

All of us at the Epilepsy Society are delighted to have been shortlisted for a prestigious campaigning award.

We were thrilled yesterday to find out that our Zach's Law campaign, which is calling for the criminalisation of online trolling of people with epilepsy, is on the shortlist for Best Public Affairs Campaign at the CIPR Excellence Awards.

This campaign, spearheaded by 10-year-old Zach Eagling, has been backed by the Law Commission, an important parliamentary committee, the Daily Express and a number of MPs. Zach has personally lobbied senior ministers, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and our campaigns team have been in detailed discussions with leading tech platforms such as Twitter, GIPHY and Facebook.

Zach's Law calls for a new criminal offence: the sending of flashing images to a person with epilepsy with the intention to cause that person to have a seizure.

While this offence was not included in the first reading of the Online Safety Bill, we have been informed that it is being roadtested by the Ministry of Justice. We remain confident that Zach's Law will be inserted in the Bill before it becomes law - likely to be in 2023.

The CIPR Excellence Awards is an annual event hosted by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, the UK's leading professional body for PR professionals. The award winners will be announced on the 8th June, and we'll keep you updated. Wish us luck!