Cases

HH Sant Baba Jeet Singh Ji Maharaj v Eastern Media Group & Anor

Facts

C, the head of Nirmal Kutia Johal, a religious institution which follows the teachings of the Nirmal Sikh faith, brought libel proceedings over an article written by journalist Hardeep Singh which appeared in The Sikh Times in August 2007. The article claimed that C saw himself as a leader who should be worshipped personally and who required his followers to bow down to a picture of him, contrary to mainstream Sikhism. C alleged that it meant, among other things, that he was the leader of a cult and an impostor, had disturbed the peace in the Sikh community of High Wycombe, and promoted blasphemy and the sexual exploitation and abuse of women. Ds defended the claim, pleading justification, fair comment and qualified privilege.

On the first day of trial D2 made an application for a preliminary ruling on the issue of whether the claim should be stayed, either wholly or in part, on the basis of non-justiciability.

Also