Katie Hopkins to appeal High Court libel decision

In an update on our report of 14 March 2017 on the Katie Hopkins Twitter defamation case, (where Katie Hopkins was ordered to pay £24,000 damages plus costs to Jack Monroe), Katie Hopkins has now indicated that she will appeal the Court’s decision. It is not known whether an application for permission to appeal has yet been made. 

The High Court ruling was important as it was one of the first under the Defamation Act 2013 to consider the issue of “serious harm” to a Claimant’s reputation. 

Under The Defamation Act 2013, unless a Judge is persuaded that serious harm has been caused to the reputation of the Claimant by the defamatory statement, the claim will fail.

The decision in the Jack Monroe v Katie Hopkins case was a surprise to many legal practitioners, as the threshold for serious harm appears to be lower than previously thought. The decision could lead to a new wave of defamation claims which were previously thought to fall under the serious harm threshold. 

At Samuels Solicitors, based in Devon, we have a niche practice dealing with all types of defamation claims, with a particular focus on online defamation on social media sites.

We have assisted many Claimants in bringing successful claims for defamation, both libel and slander, and we have also assisted clients with defending defamation claims which have been brought against them.

As old style CFAs, or no win no fee agreements, are still permitted for defamation claims, we will generally act under those terms for clients who have a strong case. 

If you have been the victim of libel or slander, contact us for a free no obligation discussion about how we can help.