Judgment was handed down today in the Trial of Preliminary Issues in Ameyaw v Anthony [2026] EWHC 1694 (KB).
The claimant is a former Youth Minister at Edmonton Baptist Church. The defendant is a member of that church. The case concerns a pseudonymised email sent by the defendant to the Human Resources Department of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Church Office of Edmonton Baptist Church and a director of the London Baptist Association.
The parties’ proposed meanings differed in two principal respects. First, the claimant advanced a Chase level 1 meaning, whereas the defendant advanced a Chase level 2 meaning. Second, on the claimant’s case, all of the defamatory statements were statements of fact, whereas on the defendant’s case, the vast majority were expressions of opinion.
Mr Justice Griffiths found that the natural and ordinary meaning of the Email was:
“The claimant, in his capacity as the Youth Minister of the Edmonton Baptist Church, has engaged in unethical and self-serving conduct by (a) being physically present on church premises for only a few hours per week; (b) spending most of his contracted working hours on undeclared private filming activity, to the detriment of the youth associated with the Church; (c) coercing the former Lead Minister into purchasing expensive media equipment and (d) carrying out very little of the duties listed in his job description. He threatens legal action when he does not get his own way.”
The Email was found to be defamatory of the Claimant at common law.
Mr Justice Griffiths found that the words complained of were all statements of fact, with the exception of the statement that the claimant, in his capacity as Youth Minister of Edmonton Baptist Church, had engaged in “unethical” conduct, which was an expression of opinion. He further found that the basis of that opinion was indicated in the Email.
Chris Zabilowicz appeared for the Claimant, instructed by Lawhive Legal Ltd.
The judgment can be read here.
