Cases

Curistan v Times Newspapers Ltd

Facts

The Claimant brought libel proceedings against the Sunday Times over an article that he alleged claimed he was guilty of involvement in money-laundering for the IRA and other financial malpractice. The Defendant relied upon defences of justification (of a Chase Level 2 meaning) and qualified privilege. The privilege defence sought protection of part of the article on the basis that it was a fair and accurate report of what had been said in Parliament during a speech by an MP. At the trial of preliminary issues of meaning and privilege, the Defendant contended that the privilege defence should be ruled upon first and, if successful, the words should be struck out of the words complained of before the Court adjudicated on the meaning of the article.

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