The defendants had published an article stating simply and solely that a writ had been issued against the four plaintiffs claiming damages for alleged conspiracy to defraud. They pleaded justification, based on the issue of the writ itself. The plaintiffs attacked this plea on the grounds that it offended against the repetition rule.
Held: The attack failed. It was arguable that the defence put forward of justification could be supported by a reference to the issue of a writ. Morris LJ said that it could not be said that these particulars could not justify some conceivable defamatory meaning that somebody might say was the ordinary meaning of those words.
Judges:
Hodson LJ, Morris LJ.
Citations:
[1959] 1 QB 413
Cited by:
Cited – Waters v Sunday Pictorial Newspapers Ltd CA 1961
The defendants published an article describing the plaintiff estate agent as ‘a notorious dodgy operator of London slum properties’. The article quoted statements by Lord Goddard CJ 8 years before describing the plaintiff’s estate agency as ‘a . .
Cited – Stern v Piper and Others CA 21-May-1996
The defendant newspaper said that allegations had been made against the plaintiff that he was not paying his debts. In their defence they pleaded justification and the fact that he was being sued for debt.
Held: A defamation was not to be . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Defamation
Updated: 01 May 2022; Ref: scu.270555