All posts

22.11.23

Seeking default judgment on defamation claims

It is not uncommon for defendants to fail to respond to a claim against them.  Indeed, around 90% of the 1.5 million claims issued in England and Wales each year are undefended.    When that happens, the usual course for a claimant is to request or apply for default judgment, which in most cases is entered…

21.11.23

Is it safe to use AI for legal research?  Not yet

The development and use of AI (artificial intelligence) has increased dramatically in the past year. Widely available AI apps can be used to ask complex questions and immediately receive ostensibly sophisticated answers. The use of AI has extended to the legal sector where chatbots can be used to search for cases relating to a particular…

13.11.23

Court rules on meaning in Noel Clarke’s defamation claim against The Guardian

As many readers will know, Noel Clarke, the actor perhaps best known for his roles in three films constituting The Hood Trilogy and the television series Bulletproof, has sued The Guardian newspaper for libel and breach of his data protection rights in respect of eight articles in which he was accused of various forms of…

1.11.23

Press statement: Caroline Ley

This press statement has been issued following the handing down of Mr Justice Julian Knowles’ judgment in Crosbie v Ley [2023] EWHC 2626 (KB)   Our client Caroline Ley is relieved by the outcome of these proceedings which fully vindicate her and highlight the harassment she has suffered at the hands of her former colleague and…

Psychotherapist awarded £75,000 in libel and harassment damages after former colleague found to have pursued a targeted public vendetta and false passing off claim

On 1 November 2023, the High Court handed down judgment in Crosbie v Ley [2023] EWHC 2626 (KB). The Defendant, Siobhain Crosbie, sued the Claimant, Caroline Ley, for passing off.  She sought damages of £1.4 million, plus interest. Ms Ley counterclaimed for libel, harassment, and breach of data protection rights. Mr Justice Julian Knowles dismissed…

25.10.23

#MeToo six years on: how the courts are handling sexual misconduct defamation claims

Whilst the origins of the MeToo movement date back to 2006, the movement exploded in 2017 with the help of a Twitter hashtag.  Victims of sexual misconduct across the world were encouraged to speak out.  In 2017 we considered the legal issues arising from making allegations of sexual misconduct online and asked whether it was…

20.10.23

Where are we now with serious harm? Understanding section 1 of the Defamation Act 2013

Defamation lawyers had hoped that the Supreme Court’s judgment in Lachaux v Independent Print Ltd & Anor [2019] UKSC 27 (see our blog here) would provide some much-needed clarity on how section 1 of the Defamation Act 2013 should be interpreted.  Prior to Lachaux preliminary issue trials had become something of a bête noire for…

19.10.23

Brett Wilson LLP and its lawyers recommended in Chambers and Partners 2024 directory

Brett Wilson LLP’s media and communications law and criminal defence departments have again been recommended by the prestigious Chambers and Partners directory as leading departments in their field. In the firm’s media and communications law department, partners Iain Wilson, Max Campbell and Tom Double continue to be ranked as leading lawyers in Defamation/Reputation Management. Partner…

10.10.23

Court grants injunction to prevent details of affair being disclosed in blackmail case

In JRV & ARC v BRG [2023] EWHC 2238 (KB) Mr Justice Ritchie granted an interim privacy injunction preventing the publication of information about an extra-marital affair. The judgment, handed down on 8 September 2023, is a concise but comprehensive judgment traversing the core principles of privacy injunctions. Facts In January 2022 the anonymised First…

5.10.23

Brett Wilson LLP’s departments and lawyers recognised in 2024 edition of Legal 500

Brett Wilson LLP has again been recommended in three categories in the prestigious Legal 500 directory of leading law firms:- Reputation Management Professional Discipline Crime The firm is noted for its ‘strong track record’, ‘handling defamation, privacy and data protection matters for a varied client roster, including politicians, celebrities and corporates’ and for being ‘a “go…