Cases

Wakefield v Channel Four Television & Others

Facts

The Claimant was a doctor who, in 1998, had claimed that there might be a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. He had brought three sets of libel proceedings against (1) Times Newspapers for articles in The Sunday Times; (2) Channel 4 over a Dispatches programme broadcast in November 2004; (3) and a journalist Brian Deer who had written the newspaper articles complained of, presented the Channel 4 programme and who maintained a website, publications on which gave rise to the third set of proceedings. The Claimant faced a GMC inquiry into serious allegations of professional misconduct and sought stays of the libel proceedings pending determination of the GMC proceedings. The Claim against The Sunday Times had been stayed by consent. Channel Four opposed any stay being granted and Mr Deer was content for stays to be imposed in the website proceedings pending the determination of the Channel Four action.

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