In an action for libel, consisting of a publication in a newspaper of a report of an inspector of charities under the Charitable Trusts Act, containing a letter, written some years before, reflecting on the plaintiff in hs management of a college: held, that, as the matter was one of public interest, the defendant was not liable, provided he published it fairly, from an honest desire to afford the public information, and that comments on it were only material as evidence of malice.
There are occasions when the public interest requires that publication to the world at large should be privileged: (quoting Lord Tenterden CJ) ‘a man has a right to publish, for the purpose of giving the public information, that which it is proper for the public to know’.
Judges:
Cockburn CJ
Citations:
(1863) 4 F and F 13, [1863] EngR 18, (1863) 4 F and F 13, (1863) 176 ER 445
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Cited by:
Cited – Reynolds v Times Newspapers Ltd and others HL 28-Oct-1999
Fair Coment on Political Activities
The defendant newspaper had published articles wrongly accusing the claimant, the former Prime Minister of Ireland of duplicity. The paper now appealed, saying that it should have had available to it a defence of qualified privilege because of the . .
Cited – Webb v Times Publishing Co Ltd 1960
The Times newspaper published a report of the criminal trial in Switzerland of a British subject. When sued in defamation they sought to rely upon the defence of fair reporting of judicial proceedings.
Held: A blanket protection for reporting . .
Cited – Allbutt v General Council of Medical Education and Registration CA 1889
The defendant had published a book with minutes of a meeting of the council recording that the plaintiff’s name had been removed from the medical register for infamous professional conduct. This followed an inquiry at which the plaintiff had been . .
Cited – Flood v Times Newspapers Ltd CA 13-Jul-2010
The claimant police officer complained of an article he said was defamatory in saying he was being investigated for allegations of accepting bribes. The article remained on the internet even after he was cleared. Each party appealed interim orders. . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Defamation
Updated: 24 November 2022; Ref: scu.194507
