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Reforming Libel Law: The Public Law Dimension

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 January 2008

Ian Loveland
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Extract

The British press has lately been awash with stories of libel actions commenced by MPs against newspapers which have published critical accounts of their behaviour. Rupert Allason has been the most assiduous litigator,1 but he has not ploughed a lone furrow. David Ashby's ill-fated action against the Sunday Times and Neil Hamilton's aborted case against the Guardian are the most memorable cases,2 but others come quickly to mind. Jonathan Aitken is pursuing actions against the Guardian which led to his resignation from the Cabinet in 1994, while Peter Bottomley recovered some £40,000 against the Sunday Express for an article accusing him of “fraternising” with Sinn Fein.3 Paddy Ashdown acted promptly against a local paper which aired ludicrous allegations about his personal life.4 Labour's Keith Vaz announced he would sue both the Sun and the Guardian for alleging that he favoured segregationist housing policies, and his colleague George Howarth accepted damages from the Guardian over an article falsely accusing him of drunkenness.5

Type
Article
Information
International & Comparative Law Quarterly , Volume 46 , Issue 3 , July 1997 , pp. 561 - 585
Copyright
Copyright © British Institute of International and Comparative Law 1997

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References

1. See Jenkins, R., “Tory MP Left with £250,000 Bill for Blair Aide Case”, The Times, 3 May. 1996.Google Scholar

2. Ashby's case received substantial coverage in both the tabloid and broadsheet press for a fortnight in Nov. and Dec. 1995. For a (perhaps less than entirely impartial) overview see Alderson, A., “The Gambler who Lost it All”, Sunday Times, 24 12. 1995.Google Scholar See also Coles, J., “Estranged Bedfellows”, Guardian, 20 12. 1995.Google Scholar

3. Pallister, D.,“Aitken Accuses Ex-Colleague of ‘Fantasy’ over Arms Sales”, Guardian, 7 03. 1996Google Scholar; Wood, N., “Tories New Spin Doctor Co-Wrote Libellous Story”, The Times, 20 12. 1995.Google Scholar

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58. Idem, p.26.

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60. Idem, p.221.

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63. Idem, p.766.

64. Idem, p.787.

65. See supra n.1.

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69. See Thomson, op. cit. supra n.22; Cassimatis, A., “Defamation—the Constitutional Public Officer Defence” (1996) Tort L.Rev. 27Google Scholar; Walker, S., “The Impact of the High Court's Free Speech Cases on Defamation Law” (1995) 17 Sydney L.R. 43.Google Scholar