header-logo header-logo

Law digests: 4 February 2022

04 February 2022
Issue: 7965 / Categories: Case law , In Court , Law digest
printer mail-detail

Defamation

Bashar v Thompson and another [2022] EWHC 25 (QB), All ER (D) 23 (Jan)

The Queen’s Bench Division ruled on preliminary issues which arose on the claimant father’s claim that the first defendant, a social worker employed by the second defendant council, had made two defamatory statements in a Family Assessment Report written in relation to a child (A) from his former partner’s previous relationship, following the claimant’s application for a child arrangements order to allow his son (N) to live with him rather than the former partner. The first defendant had stated that she had ‘serious concerns to his extreme views’ and ‘serious concerns to his value base and views’ which in her view were ‘extreme’. While the court rejected the claimant’s submission that the above statements had been tantamount to saying he was an ‘extremist’, which in turn could have been equated to ‘terrorist’ or ‘jihadist’, both statements were Chase level one and defamatory. The reasonable reader would not necessarily infer from the statements that the claimant had been prepared

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
back-to-top-scroll