Will defamation costs order ruin UKIP?

UKIP's Jane Collins was found to have falsely accused three Rotherham MPs of covering up the grooming and sex abuse scandal, in the run up to the last election.

The three labour MPs successfully sued Jane Collins who was ordered to pay damages of £54,000 to each of them. However, UKIP itself has been ordered to foot the bill for the legal costs.

The High Court found that UKIP deliberately decided not to settle the labour MP's claims before the 2017 general election, fearing that it would harm their chances in that election had they done so. UKIP now has to find £175,000, which some have suggested could push UKIP into bankruptcy. 

his case serves to highlight how important it is to settle unwinnable claims as quickly as possible.

Judith Thompson, Partner specialising in defamation claims at Samuels Solicitors says “whilst the defamatory statements were made by an individual acting in her personal capacity and not by UKIP as an organisation, the court clearly took the view that UKIP should pay the costs, because of the way they intervened in settlement negotiations.  This provides a timely reminder to all participants in libel proceedings that settlement should be strived for where possible”.

Samuels Solicitors has a specialisation dealing with all types of defamation cases including libel and slander.  We also have a practice dealing with reputation management, including applications to Google for the Right to be Forgotten. 

Contact us today for a discussion about how we can assist you with your libel claim.