Cases

Armstrong v Times Newspapers Ltd & Others (CA)

Facts

In June 2004, the Sunday Times published an article about the cyclist, Lance Armstrong, entitled "LA Confidential". The Claimant contended that the article suggested that he was guilty of taking performance enhancing drugs in cycling competitions. The Defendants contended that the article meant only that there were reasonable grounds to suspect the Claimant of doing so or that there were grounds to investigate whether he had. The Defendant also relied upon Reynolds qualified privilege defence. The Judge held that the Reynolds defence should be summarily dismissed under CPR Part 24. Following a ruling on meaning - striking out the "grounds to investigate" meaning - he also struck out large parts of the defence of justification. The Defendants appealed the dismissal of the Reynolds defence and the striking out of some limited parts of the justification defence.

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