Category: defamation

Defamation and church discipline: Otuo – Law and Religion UK

Posted June 24th, 2019 in Christianity, defamation, disciplinary procedures, fraud, interpretation, loans, news, ultra vires, vicarious liability by tracey

‘In Otuo v Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain [2019] EWHC 1349 (QB), Mr Otuo had been “disfellowshipped” by the Jehovah’s Witnesses and an announcement to that effect had been made at a meeting of the Wimbledon Congregation [1 & 2]. Further, during a meeting at which he sought to be reinstated, he had recorded surreptitiously one of those present making what he alleged to be a defamatory statement.’

Full Story

Law and Religion UK, 20th June 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

“No revolution” says the Supreme Court as it rules on defamation – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted June 18th, 2019 in appeals, damages, defamation, domestic violence, families, media, news, public interest, Supreme Court by tracey

‘Lachaux v Independent Print Ltd and another [2019] UKSC 27. The Supreme Court has unanimously held that the Defamation Act 2013 altered the common law presumption of general damage in defamation. It is no longer sufficient for the imposition of liability that a statement is inherently injurious or has a “tendency” to injure a claimant’s reputation. Instead, the language of section 1(1) of the Act requires a statement to produce serious harm to reputation before it can be considered defamatory.’

Full Story

UK Human Rights Blog, 17th june 2019

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Landmarks in law: Sally Bercow and the first major ‘Twibel’ case – The Guardian

Posted May 29th, 2019 in defamation, internet, news by tracey

‘Careless tweeting costs money, so beware. That is the message coming from the courts, which over recent years have had to deal with the “Twibel” cases that have arisen from potentially libellous posts made on social media.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 28th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Guidance on libel for the social media age – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 22nd, 2019 in appeals, codes of practice, defamation, domestic violence, internet, interpretation, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘”He tried to strangle me” – hardly innocuous words. But when Nicola Stocker posted them on Facebook in 2012 she could not have known it was the start of a 76-month libel dispute over two simple questions – questions that would reach the Supreme Court as Stocker v Stocker [2019] UKSC 17.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 20th May 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Judge “bullied” litigant in person, Court of Appeal rules – Litigation Futures

Posted May 22nd, 2019 in appeals, bullying, defamation, disclosure, judges, litigants in person, media, news, public interest by sally

‘A High Court judge “seriously transgressed” the core principle that he remain neutral during the evidence and used bullying language against a litigant in person, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 20th May 2019

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

‘Bullying’ libel judge’s dismissal of claim reversed on appeal – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 20th, 2019 in abuse of position of trust, appeals, bankruptcy, bullying, charities, defamation, freedom of expression, judges, litigants in person, media, news, public interest by tracey

‘Appeal judges have strongly criticised the “surprising and troubling” conduct of a High Court judge towards a litigant in person during a defamation hearing, saying he “cast off the mantle of impartiality”. Ruling in Serafin v Malkiewicz and Others, Lord Justice Lewison, Lord Justice McCombe and Lord Justice Haddon-Cave allowed an appeal against Mr Justice Jay’s dismissal of a libel claim against a London Polish-language newspaper.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 20th May 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Tommy Robinson sued by Syrian schoolboy he accused of assault – The Guardian

Posted May 16th, 2019 in assault, compensation, contempt of court, defamation, hate crime, immigration, news, racism, refugees, video recordings by sally

‘The Syrian schoolboy who was filmed being attacked in a playground in Huddersfield is suing the far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson for accusing him of assaulting white schoolgirls.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 15th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

CFA success fees abolished in privacy & defamation cases – Panopticon

Posted April 9th, 2019 in costs, defamation, fees, insurance, news, privacy by sally

‘So after many of months of GDPR-related anguish, finally some good news for data controllers: with effect from last Saturday (6th April), conditional fee agreement (CFA) success fees will no longer be recoverable from defendants in privacy or defamation proceedings, at least where the relevant CFA was entered into after 5 April.’

Full Story

Panopticon, 8th April 2019

Source: panopticonblog.com

Facebook ‘strangle’ post: Woman wins libel battle against ex-husband – BBC News

Posted April 4th, 2019 in appeals, defamation, domestic violence, internet, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘A woman has won a libel battle against her ex-husband over comments she made on Facebook about him trying to strangle her.’

Full Story

BBC News, 3rd April 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Syrian refugee ‘attack’: 16-year-old boy given police caution over incident at Huddersfield school – The Independent

Posted March 29th, 2019 in assault, asylum, bullying, defamation, hate crime, Islam, media, news, racism, refugees, video recordings, young offenders by tracey

‘A boy accused of attacking a Syrian refugee at their school in Huddersfield has been given a police caution.’

Full Story

The Independent, 29th March 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

High Court: Media accused barrister of making death threats – Legal Futures

Posted March 26th, 2019 in barristers, bullying, defamation, harassment, media, news by sally

‘Barrister Barbara Hewson was accused by The Times and MailOnline of making death threats to a law student and subjecting him to “repeated acts of harassment and online bullying”, the High Court has held.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 26th March 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Rachel Riley and Tracy Ann Oberman to take legal action after Twitter abuse – The Guardian

Posted February 22nd, 2019 in defamation, harassment, internet, news, political parties, racism by tracey

‘The Countdown presenter Rachel Riley and former EastEnders actor Tracy Ann Oberman are preparing legal action against up to 70 individuals for tweets relating to their campaign against antisemitism in the Labour party, according to the pair’s lawyer.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 21st February 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

MP Richard Burgon wins ‘Nazi metal band’ Sun libel case – BBC News

Posted February 7th, 2019 in damages, defamation, media, news, parliament by tracey

Full Story

BBC News, 6th February 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Where does the Martin Lewis case leave media law? – Litigation Futures

Posted January 30th, 2019 in advertising, defamation, internet, media, news by sally

‘Last week’s settlement of Martin Lewis’s high-profile defamation claim against Facebook presents a noteworthy challenge to regulators about the practical application of media law to publishers of online advertising campaigns.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 30th January 2019

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Melania Trump: Telegraph apologises and pays damages – BBC News

Posted January 28th, 2019 in damages, defamation, media, news by sally

‘The Daily Telegraph has apologised “unreservedly” to Melania Trump and agreed to pay her “substantial damages” for an article it published last week.’

Full Story

BBC News, 26th January 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Woman found to have defamed ex-husband on Facebook takes fight to Supreme Court – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 24th, 2019 in appeals, assault, costs, defamation, domestic violence, families, news, Supreme Court, women by tracey

‘A woman who claimed on Facebook that her ex-husband tried to strangle her is set to fight a judge’s ruling that she is guilty of defamation because he wasn’t trying to kill her. Nicola Stocker, 51, will argue before the Supreme Court that she had used common language to describe the attack by her millionaire ex-husband, for which he was arrested, when talking to his new lover.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 23rd January 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Newspapers secure summary judgment over libel claims brought by social worker – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 17th, 2019 in data protection, defamation, media, news, privacy, social services, summary judgments, telecommunications by tracey

‘Two national newspaper groups have obtained summary judgment over libel claims brought by a former senior social worker.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 16th January 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Defamation and privacy case cost reforms earmarked for 2019 – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 4th, 2018 in costs, defamation, fees, news, privacy by tracey

‘Publishers that lose defamation and privacy cases brought against them in England and Wales will not be forced to pay the “success fee” charged by lawyers of the successful party via so-called ‘conditional fee arrangements’ (CFAs) under cost reforms due to be implemented in April next year.’

Full Story

OUT-LAW.com, 3rd December 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Recovery of success fees in defamation cases to end – Litigation Futures

Posted December 3rd, 2018 in costs, defamation, fees, freedom of expression, news, privacy, protective costs orders by tracey

‘The government is to abolish the recoverability of success fees in defamation cases – but retain it for after-the-event (ATE) insurance premiums, it announced yesterday.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 30th November 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Transgender lawyer launches UK’s first ‘deadnaming’ case against Father Ted writer Graham Linehan – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 8th, 2018 in defamation, harassment, misuse of private information, news, privacy, transgender persons by sally

‘A Transgender lawyer has launched Britain’s first “deadnaming” case in the High Court against Father Ted’s screenplay writer after he referred to her using her birth name.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 7th October 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk