Cases

Berezovsky v Russian State Television & Another

Facts

The Defendant was the Russian State broadcaster. In April 2007, it broadcast a programme in which allegations were made against the Claimant by an anonymous source identified only as Pyotr in the programme. The programme was available to satellite viewers in the UK and the Claimant sued for libel on what he contended was a substantial publication in the jurisdiction. Permission to serve the Defendant out of the jurisdiction was given in July 2007 and the Claim Form was served on the Defendant in April 2008. The Defendant applied to the Court asking it to decline jurisdiction on the basis that Russian law prevented it from identifying Pyotr and it could not therefore have a fair trial of any of its defences.

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