Founder of the Islam Channel awarded £140,000 in libel damages
In a judgment handed down on 30 March 2017 Sir David Eady, sitting as a Judge of the High Court, awarded Mohamed Ali Harrath, the founder and CEO of the Islam Channel, £140,000 in libel… Read More »
Jack Monroe wins libel claim against Katie Hopkins
In a judgment handed down by Mr Justice Warby on 10 March 2017, Jack Monroe has won £24,000 in damages at the trial of her libel claim against Katie Hopkins. Writer and journalist Monroe brought… Read More »
Mr Justice Warby to head new list for media-related cases
It has been announced that as of 1 March 2017 there will be a new list within the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court – the Media and Communications List. Mr Justice Warby is… Read More »
Council apologises for false abuse letter
Northamptonshire County Council has today apologised in court to Theo Taylor for the publication of a letter from a social worker in its social services department which led to Mr Taylor’s child being removed. In… Read More »
Truth defence ruled out in charity case
The High Court has refused to grant three defendants permission to plead a defence of truth, but has allowed the third defendant a further opportunity to formulate a public interest defence, in the case of Suresh… Read More »
Supreme Court refuses Simpson permission to appeal
The Supreme Court has today refused Leicester City footballer Danny Simpson permission to appeal in his libel claim against MGN, publisher of the Daily Mirror. In July 2016 the Court of Appeal allowed MGN’s appeal… Read More »
Lachaux appeal hearing begins
The Court of Appeal hearing in Lachaux v AOL (UK), Independent Print Ltd & Evening Standard Ltd begins today. The appeal is being heard in Court 72 by Lord Justice McFarlane, Lord Justice Davis and Lady Justice… Read More »
Neighbours’ dispute leads to £32,080 award of damages
The High Court has awarded £32,080 to a man who had been subjected to a campaign of harassment by his neighbour, which included the making of slanderous comments and a false report of a sex… Read More »
Vegetarian restaurateur awarded £9000 libel damages for cow death allegation
Khalid Undre, a vegetarian restaurateur, was today awarded £9000 libel damages arising out of a news release reporting his conviction for animal cruelty offences. The London Borough of Harrow, which had successfully prosecuted Mr Undre… Read More »
Rahman libel trial commences
The trial of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman’s libel and harassment claim against ARY Network Ltd, the UK broadcaster of Urdu news channel ARY News, and its Chief Operating Officer, Fayaz Ghafoor, begins today in the High Court…. Read More »
Claimant succeeds in latest serious harm trial
Following a two day trial to determine whether the libel claim brought by Sam Theedom satisfied the test under s.1 of the Defamation Act 2013 (that there has been serious harm to reputation), judgment has… Read More »
Niall Horan wins round in libel claim
Niall Horan of the boyband One Direction sued Express Newspapers over an article in the Daily Star entitled “1D NEW DRUG STORM” which featured a photograph of him with Justin Bieber and Cody Simpson close… Read More »
Sunday Times wins libel claim
Former Conservative MP Tim Yeo has lost his libel claim against the Sunday Times. The action was brought in relation to articles published after an undercover investigation by the Sunday Times Insight Team. The journalists,… Read More »
University of Sussex apologises to ex-student
The University of Sussex has today apologised “unreservedly” to Michael Segalov, an ex-student, following allegations of criminal behaviour published by the University in two online news bulletins in December 2013. Mr Segalov, who is now… Read More »
Privy Council allows Reynolds appeal
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (Lords Clarke, Wilson, Sumption, Carnwath and Toulson) today handed down judgment in an appeal it heard in April of this year on Reynolds qualified privilege. It allowed the… Read More »
New decision on serious harm
Warby J has handed down a decision on s. 1(2) of the Defamation Act 2013 in Brett Wilson LLP v Persons Unknown [2015] EWHC 2628 (QB). This is the first time a court has considered… Read More »
Lachaux: Judgment on serious harm
On 30 July 2015 Warby J handed down judgment on preliminary issues in Lachaux v AOL (UK), Independent Print Ltd & Evening Standard Ltd. The judgment dealt with whether the articles complained of caused or… Read More »
B&B Owner refused injunction
The High Court has refused to grant an interim injunction against Airbnb to stop the company from discussing complaints received against a B&B owner with third parties as there was no risk of it doing… Read More »
Permission granted to add data protection claim
On 16 July 2015 Mr Justice Dingemans handed down his judgment on an application in the case of His Highness Prince Moulay Hicham Ben Abdullah Al Alaoui of Morocco v Elaph Publishing Limited. The Claimant… Read More »
MPs may no longer waive parliamentary privilege
MPs and Peers are no longer able to waive parliamentary privilege for the purposes of defamation proceedings since the coming into force of Schedule 23 paragraph 44 of the Deregulation Act 2015 on 26 May… Read More »