The court considered an action for damages for slander consisting of a few words spoken in an angry outburst and ‘the court must try to achieve a proportionate outcome in litigation which, in itself, appears to be disproportionate and, arguably, to serve no useful purpose at all.’
Held: ‘It should have been disposed of by a prompt apology at the outset and the parties should quite simply have got on with their lives. Nevertheless, there has been an admission that slanders were uttered and that they were heard by a few bystanders. The solicitor’s letters were ignored and costs will inevitably have been incurred in the interim. In all the circumstances, it seems to me that a very modest sum of damages will serve the purpose.’ A later costs award should be similarly proportionate.
Judges:
Eady J
Citations:
[2011] EWHC 1201 (QB)
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Defamation
Updated: 25 August 2022; Ref: scu.439675
