The Weekly Law Reports
[2011] 1 WLR 153
Court of Appeal
*Flood v Times Newspapers Ltd
[2010] EWCA Civ 804
2010 May 25,
26;
July 13
July 13
Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury MR, Moore-Bick, Moses LJJ
Court of Appeal (Civil Division)— Appeal— Function of appellate court— Claimant bringing libel action against publisher of defamatory newspaper article— Trial of defence of qualified privilege— Right to publish matter of public interest balanced against rights of individual to reputation— Whether appellate court entitled to interfere with judge’s balancing exercise only if error of principle or conclusion plainly wrong— Whether balancing exercise raising question of law for appellate court to determine
Defamation— Privilege— Qualified— Newspaper and website publication concerning police investigation into alleged corruption by police officer— Article containing details of allegations— Internal inquiry exonerating police officer— Original article remaining on website unaltered— Whether qualified privilege protecting responsible journalism attaching to both publications when originally published— Whether any qualified privilege attaching to website publication continuing after defendant learning of results of police inquiry into claimant