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#On Libel And The Law, U. S. And U. K. Go Separate Ways: Parallels: NPR

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A statue of the scales of justice stands above the Old Bailey, the courthouse where many high-profile libel cases are tried, in London. The U.K. is a popular place for libel cases to be filed because of laws that make it difficult for journalists or the media to prevail.

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

This Sunday, HBO is airing the documentary Going Clear, about the Church of Scientology, to strong reviews. The nonfiction book on which the film is based was short-listed for the National Book Award.

Yet there have been serious challenges to releasing the film and the book in the U.K. That's because Britain does not have the same free speech protections as the United States.

As with many other works of investigative journalism, publishing Going Clear in the U.K. could expose the authors to a much more serious risk of lawsuits than they face in the U.S.

Given how closely the U.S. and Britain align on many topics, the degree to which they differ on the issue of free speech is striking.

Rachel Ehrenfeld never set out to become the face of this issue.

"I just set out to write the truth, to expose those who funded terrorism," she says.