“There are consequences for filing frivolous or retaliatory defamation lawsuits.”
As there should be. Nevertheless, it is still the case that the standards that must be met for a plaintiff to prevail in a defamation case in the UK are much weaker in the UK than they are in the US.
There are also consequences for the plaintiff because the defendant gets to subpoena the plaintiff’s records to prove their accusations.
Plaintiffs who try to drop a case may also find themselves with a tar baby when the defendant insists on going to trial to prove their accusations.