Monir v Wood trial begins

Libel claim before Mr Justice Nicklin

The claim is against the former Chairman of the UKIP Bristol Branch for a tweet published by the Branch’s Twitter account. The account published the tweet shortly before the General Election in May 2015, when the Defendant was Chairman.

The Defendant denies responsibility for the publication of the tweet. The trial will also address the meaning of the tweet, whether it was understood to refer to the Claimant, and whether the serious harm requirement has been met. The trial will be heard by Mr Justice Nicklin. It is expected to last for five days.

5RB’s Julian Santos acts for the Claimant; David Hirst acts for the Defendant.