Britain and the US are not shoulder to shoulder over defamation – The Guardian
“English libel law itself could face scrutiny in a US court, in a case brought by a US author in New York.”
The Guardian, 19th November 2007
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“English libel law itself could face scrutiny in a US court, in a case brought by a US author in New York.”
The Guardian, 19th November 2007
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“A leading magistrate has said he feared his reputation was in tatters after losing a legal bid to sue his daughter-in-law over allegations he assaulted her.”
Daily Telegraph, 31st October 2007
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“Disgruntled fans of Sheffield Wednesday who vented their dissatisfaction with the football club’s bigwigs in anonymous internet postings may face expensive libel claims after the chairman, chief executive and five directors won a high-court ruling last week forcing the owner of a website to reveal their identity.”
The Guardian, 22nd October 2007
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“A journalist who suggested that a former police officer may be corrupt was cleared of libel in the Court of Appeal yesterday.”
The Times, 12th October 2007
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“A magistrate sued his daughter-in-law for slander and libel over a claim that he assaulted her and his baby grandson.”
Daily Telegraph, 11th October 2007
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“Britain’s worst-performing train company tried to silence the official passenger watchdog by threatening to sue it for libel for making a complaint about its poor performance.”
The Times, 13th August 2007
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“Hollywood stars are flocking to British courts to bring libel actions. Figures released by Sweet & Maxwell’s legal information service show that 19 libel cases involving celebrities versus newspapers came to court in Britain in the year to May 2007 – three times the number two years ago.”
The Independent, 2nd August 2007
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“Terrorist suspects are fuelling a surge in defamation actions against newspapers and broadcasting organisations, according to a survey published today. The number of defamation cases brought by alleged terror suspects has almost trebled in a year, making up almost 13 per cent of reported claims in the year to the end of May.
The Times, 30th July 2007
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Grovit v. De Netherlandsche Bank NV and others
“An action for libel against the central bank of the Netherlands was not a civil and commercial matter within the terms of Council Regulation 44/2001/EC (the Judgments Regulation on jurisdiction in civil and commercial matters) so as to permit the action to go ahead in the English courts.”
WLR Daily, 24th July 2007
Source: www.lawreports.co.uk
Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.
“Google, the world’s biggest search engine, is being sued by a London businessman in a landmark legal action that could hold the US-based company liable for the publication of inaccurate, malicious or damaging material on the internet.”
The Independent, 29th June 2007
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“An estate agent has accepted substantial libel damages over newspaper articles that suggested he had been arrested in connection with an alleged terrorist plot to blow up passenger aircraft using ‘liquid bombs’.”
The Guardian, 20th June 2007
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Complaints to police are privileged
Buckley v. Dalziel and Another
Queen’s Bench Division
“Absolute privilege and immunity from suit were available to a person who provided information to the police to set in motion the process of an inquiry into possible illegality.”
The Times, 7th June 2007
Source: www.thetimesonline.co.uk
Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.
“Despite the myths, bloggers are just as vulnerable as conventional publishers to legal action – if not more so.”
The Times, 23rd May 2007
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Libel author’s identity irrelevant
Court of Appeal
“In defamation cases a cause of action accrued for limitation purposes even if the claimant was unaware of the identity of the relevant author.”
The Times, 22nd May 2007
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.
No power to add late libel claim
Adelson and Another v. Associated Newspapers Ltd.
Queen’s Bench Division
“Where the libel limitation period had expired, there was no jurisdiction to grant an application to amend pleadings by the addition of new claimants.”
The Times, 10th May 2007
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.
“Gina Ford, the controversial childcare guru, yesterday dropped her bitter legal battle against a popular parenting website that mocked her rigorous methods.”
Daily Telegraph, 10th May 2007
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“A woman who sued her neighbours for libel and slander after they told police that she had pruned their trees without permission has paid a high price for her action.”
The Times, 4th May 2007
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“PANORAMA, the BBC’s flagship current affairs show, faces being sued for more than £1m by Britain’s richest doctor after a “biased and irresponsible” undercover investigation into his fertility clinics.”
The Sunday Times, 29th April 2007
“The Sunday Times did not libel a man accused of ‘association with the IRA’s dirty money’ in an investigation into his business interests, the High Court ruled on Wednesday.”
OUT-LAW.com, 27th April 2007
Source: www.out-law.com
“Speaking ill of the dead could become a lot more expensive. The government is to consider extending the laws of defamation so that even the deceased – or at least their representatives – can sue for libel.”
Sunday Times, 22nd April 2007
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk