Cases

Hamilton v Fayed

Facts

The claimant, who was then a Member of Parliament, was accused by the defendant in a television broadcast of taking cash in return for asking questions in the House of Commons. The claimant lost his seat in the 1997 General Election. The allegation was investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards who concluded it was true. The Committee on Standards and Privileges made a report in which they neither accepted nor rejected that finding. Their report was approved by resolution of the House of Commons. The claimant brought a libel action against the defendant having waived parliamentary privilege under section 13 of the Defamation Act 1996. The defendant sought to have the action struck out or stayed as an abuse of process or as infringing parliamentary privilege. He failed before the Judge and the Court of Appeal.

Also