From: Tamblyn, Nathan <N.Tamblyn@exeter.ac.uk>
To: Andrew Tettenborn <a.m.tettenborn@swansea.ac.uk>
obligations@uwo.ca
Date: 23/04/2017 11:22:05 UTC
Subject: Re: defamation and politics

Given recent trends in politics, at least in the UK, maybe we need a new tort of public lying.


Nathan

From: Andrew Tettenborn <a.m.tettenborn@swansea.ac.uk>
Sent: 23 April 2017 11:37:36
To: obligations@uwo.ca
Subject: defamation and politics
 

An interesting defamation case reported in today's UK media:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/apr/22/hope-not-hate-suing-nigel-farage-100k-libel-claim-ukip-leader

Essentially a political organisation is suing for large sums in general libel damages in respect of a statement about its activities (in this case Hope not Hate is suing Nigel Farage of the UK Independence Party for a suggestion that it pursues violent and undemocratic means to power).

Does anyone share my concern that this ought to be regarded as raising the same issue as Derbyshire CC v Times Newspapers Ltd [1993] A.C. 534? If it's necessary to prevent public authorities from suing corporately for defamation in order to protect robust free speech, then my first reaction is that this ought to apply a fortiori to political pressure-groups.

Andrew


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Andrew Tettenborn
Professor of Commercial Law, Swansea University

Institute for International Shipping and Trade Law
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Andrew Tettenborn
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