libel chill
n.— «The Liberal party announced later there would be no apology. “This is what is known as ‘libel chill”—using the threat of a libel suit to remove an issue from where it should be rightfully debated: before the Canadian public.”» —“Liberals shrug off PM’s lawsuit threat over Cadman allegations” by Norma Greenaway, Juliet O’Neill National Post (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada) Mar. 3, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)