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Libel and slander – Defamatory words. The claimant had maintained a blog site on which she wrote about the local council and its activities. The defendant was chief executive of that council. The claimant issued proceedings against the defendant alleging libel by him. The defendant counterclaimed that the claimant had written defamatory comments about him in her blog over a period of months. Those comments concerned what the claimant had described as a 'slush fund', pursuant to powers delegated by the council to, among others, the defendant, to initiate and fund libel proceedings by council members. The claim was dismissed and the counterclaim was allowed in part. The Court of Appeal, Civil Division, dismissed the claimant's appeal as the judge had given the blog posts their natural and ordinary meaning, which had been an implication of corruption, and that meaning had not been altered by the context of other posts on the blog.
Libel and slander – Defamatory words. The claimant had maintained a blog site on which she wrote about the local council and its activities. The defendant was chief executive of that council. The claimant issued proceedings against the defendant alleging libel by him. The defendant counterclaimed that the claimant had written defamatory comments about him in her blog over a period of months. Those comments concerned what the claimant had described as a 'slush fund', pursuant to powers delegated by the council to, among others, the defendant, to initiate and fund libel proceedings by council members. The claim was dismissed and the counterclaim was allowed in part. The Court of Appeal, Civil Division, dismissed the claimant's appeal as the judge had given the blog posts their natural and ordinary meaning, which had been an implication of corruption, and that meaning had not been altered by the context of other posts on the blog.
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, discusses the upcoming changes to pensions and Inheritance Tax and the potential impact on your financial future
Save the Children UK is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
The Chief Legal Officer to the Metropolitan Police, barrister Brett Welch, tells Anthony Inglese CB about his mission and the work to turn the Met around
Barrister apprenticeships – shortly to provide the fourth pathway to the Bar – are an ideal opportunity to support local talent and ‘grow your own’, say Tim Coulson and Dr Jane Dennehy
Grok around and find out – or not? Mariya Peykova investigates the nudification scandal, what the law has to say about sexually explicit deepfakes, and whether stronger regulation is needed
Oliver Lewis spotlights an overlooked yet rapidly evolving area of law – coercive and controlling behaviour within care contexts
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