Sir James & Lady Dyson v Associated Newspapers: trial of meaning

High Court to hear argument in a Trial of Preliminary Issues of the meaning of news articles

Tomorrow the High Court will hear argument in a Trial of Preliminary Issues in a libel claim brought by Sir James and Lady Dyson over articles published in the Daily Mail and on MailOnline.

The trial will hear argument in respect of whether the words complained of contain any imputation about either of the Claimants which defames them at common law; if so, what defamatory imputations the words bear in regard to each Claimant; whether any such defamatory imputation is a statement of fact or a statement of opinion; and, if statements of opinion, whether the words indicate, in general or specific terms, the basis of the statement(s) of opinion.

5RB‘s William Bennett QC appears for the Claimants, instructed by Schillings; 5RB‘s Alexandra Marzec appears for the Defendant, instructed by Wiggin LLP.