Cases

Jameel & Another v Wall Street Journal Europe (No.2) (HL)

Facts

The Defendant published an article in the Wall Street Journal Europe to the effect that the Saudi Arabian monetary authorities were monitoring, at the US government's request, certain bank accounts in connection with the witting or unwitting funding of terrorism. The Abdul Latif Jameel Group was named as being on the list of such accounts. The main company in the Group and its President (Mohammed Jameel) sued for libel. The substantive defence was Reynolds qualified privilege. There was no plea of justification. At trial Eady J ruled that the plea of privilege failed. The Defendant appealed unsuccessfully to the Court of Appeal. The Defendant was granted permission to appeal by the House of Lords on two grounds: (1) the scope of the "responsible journalism" test in Reynolds defences, and (2) the application of the presumption of damage in defamation claims to corporate claimants.

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