Cases

Marks & Spencer plc v Granada Television Ltd

Facts

The Claimant sued the Defendant for libel over a World in Action programme broadcast in January 1996. The Claimant contended that the programme carried the meaning that it was knowingly exploiting child labour in order to boost its profits and was deceiving its customers by claiming its goods were made in the UK rather than abroad. The Defendant denied that the words were capable of bearing the meaning complained of and contended instead that the programme was true in a lesser meaning. The Claimant had taken statements from a number of illiterate, non-English speaking witnesses in Morocco through an interpreter who had written down their statements in Arabic. The statements had then been read back to the witnesses who had signed the written version. The Judge allowed the statements to stand as written rather than oral statements.

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