In brief
Increased reporting of terrorism has brought with it an increase in the number of terrorism-related defamation cases, making up 13% of the total reported defamation claims in the year to 31 May 2007—compared to 4% in the previous year and 6% in the year before that. David Price of David Price Solicitors and Advocates says: “A mistake made by one newspaper can be replicated in a number of others, before the truth emerges, thereby giving rise to serial claims by the wronged party. The extent to which the defence of qualified privilege may be available in these circumstances has not been tested.”
