Cases

English & Another v Hastie & Another

Facts

The Claimants were established members of the London insurance market who had both worked for a reinsurance company, Trenwick. The Defendants were the editor and publisher of The Insurance Insider, a monthly subscription magazine published mainly to the insurance community in London. The article reported a dispute between Trenwick and another insurance company, Fairmont. A claim form had been issued and the article detailed allegations made by the owner of Fairmont. The jury found that the article was defamatory of the Claimants. The Defendants claimed that the publication was protected by qualified privilege because the proceedings and allegations made in them were matters of interest to the insurance community. They had received anonymously copies of papers relating to Fairmont's action which they contended contained credible information that they had a duty to report. The Defendants maintained that they were merely reporting the allegations of Fairmont without adopting them.

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