Defamation/ Libel
10.01.25
Could Liz Truss sue Keir Starmer for accusing her of crashing the economy?
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss is a keen supporter of the Musk brand of free speech, but not apparently when it comes to criticism of herself. Yesterday it was reported that Ms Truss had instructed lawyers to send a legal ‘cease and desist letter’ demanding that the current Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer refrain from…
Read more17.12.24
What it means to be called a ‘bike nonce’ and other similar meaning decisions
Since the dawn of defamation claims, it has been a requirement to determine the meaning of the words complained of (i.e. the sting of the libel). Once the preserve of the jury at trial, this is now determined by a judge and, in most cases, at a trial of preliminary issues (normally also deciding whether…
Read more16.12.24
Mail on Sunday apologises and pays substantial damages as long-running ‘statins claim’ ends
The Mail on Sunday and its health editor Barney Calman have apologised and paid damages to academic Zoe Harcombe PhD and medical doctor Malcolm Kendrick for the publication of articles in 2019 that accused them of knowingly making false statements about cholesterol-lowering drugs statins, thereby causing a large number of people not to take statins…
Read more4.12.24
Will Google forget my conviction? The right to be forgotten and criminal convictions
For potential employers, colleagues, clients or new acquaintances, an online search is generally the starting point for finding information about you. As a result, the presence of negative press or social media coverage in the search results for your name can have serious consequences. For example, a number of people who have come to us…
Read more17.06.24
Press release: GB News apologises to Dale Vince and agrees to pay libel damages
GB News has apologised to Dale Vince, the green energy industrialist, environmental campaigner and co-owner of Forest Green Rovers, for defaming him in a tweet/video published on X on 14 March 2024. The tweet complained of read, “You had a major Labour Party donor who called Hamas “freedom fighters”! No one has asked Labour if…
Read more9.05.24
Press release: The Telegraph pays tech entrepreneur Lu Heng substantial libel damages
The Telegraph has agreed to pay substantial damages to business and tech entrepreneur Lu Heng after accusing him in an article published on its website of disrupting organisations that provide IP addresses to different continents. In a statement read in the High Court today before Mrs Justice Steyn, Mr Lu’s solicitor, Tom Double, explained that the…
Read more25.04.24
Laurence Fox ordered to pay £180,000 in libel damages
Simon Blake, a former trustee of charity Stonewall, and Colin Seymour, the drag artist Crystal, have each been awarded £90,000 in damages following their successful libel claim against Laurence Fox, the founder of the right-wing populist Reclaim Party. History of the claim The claim arose after Fox said he would boycott Sainsbury’s supermarket when it…
Read more3.02.24
When can a libel be defended as honest opinion?
The recent judgment in Dyson v MGN Limited [2023] EWHC 3092, in which the Defendant publisher succeeded in its defence of honest opinion, provides important authority on the interpretation of section 3(4)(a) of the Defamation Act 2013. This decision, as well as the Court of Appeal’s decision in Riley v Murray [2022] EWCA Civ 1146,…
Read more9.01.24
Reverse summary judgment application fails in claim against Geo TV
On 27 November 2023, the High Court handed down judgment on the Defendant’s application for summary judgment in Iqbal v GEO TV Ltd [2023] EWHC 3024 (KB) Background This claim has its origins in the fractious arena of Pakistani politics. The Claimant Salman Iqbal is the founder and president of ARY Digital Network, one of…
Read more22.11.23
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…
Read moreLegal Disclaimer
Articles are intended as an introduction to the topic and do not constitute legal advice.
