Evening Standard defends sexual harassment claims
The trial of a libel action brought by an Air India executive over a 2006 Evening Standard article entitled ‘Sex Shame of Airline chief’ began today.
Associated Newspapers, which publishes the London newspaper, along with the journalist who wrote the article, are defending as true the allegations it contains, namely that the Claimant, a UK manager for the airline, had been forced to step down from his job as a result of sexual harassment claims made against him by female colleagues. The article also claimed that he was under investigation by the police. The trial is expected to last two weeks.
Applications on meaning and the ambit of the justification plea were ruled upon by Mr Justice Tugendhat in 2007.
5RB‘s Andrew Monson (instructed by Stewart-Moore Solicitors) is acting for the Claimant.
Links
- Sharma v Singh & Associated Newspapers – 5RB.com
- AI official files libel case against UK paper – Business Standard
- India fights ‘sex-pest’ slur – Calcutta Telegraph
- Air India exec begins libel action against UK newspaper – Economic Times