Cases

Sheikha Mouza al Misnad v Azzaman Ltd & Others

Facts

The Claimant, the wife of the Emir of Qatar, sought summary judgment under s.8 Defamation Act 1996 and/or CPR Part 24 in her libel claim against the publishers of Azzaman, a daily Arabic newspaper banned in Qatar, but published in the UK and distributed to numerous other countries. The Claimant relied on a presumption that the laws of these other countries was the same as in England & Wales. The Defendants relied on a Reynolds defence and fair comment. Although they had had not taken steps to verify the information they claimed to have received from Qatari opposition sources, and had not sought a comment from S, the Defendants nevertheless submitted that this was not a departure from the standards of responsible journalism that could be achieved in the Middle East, especially when the newspaper was banned in Qatar.

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