Libel Index
This index shows the name of the plaintiff/pursuer, whether they won or lost, and makes a brief updating comment about each case.
[1] LIBERACE - Won - Became immensely successful
[2] Jonathan AITKEN - Lost - Ruined, bankrupted, went to jail
[3] Jeffrey ARCHER - Won - then lost - ruined, went to jail
[4] Shirley TEMPLE - Won - Became immensely successful
[5] Michael MEACHER - Lost - Financially and politically ruined
[6] Oscar WILDE - Lost - Ruined, went to jail
[7] Ian BOTHAM - Lost - Financially ruined
[8] Gillian TAYLFORTH - Lost - Ruined
[9] William ROACHE - Won - but ruined and bankrupted anyway
[10] Derek JAMESON - Lost- Financially ruined
[11] Charlotte CORNWELL - Won - but financially ruined anyway
[12] Neil HAMILTON - Lost - Ruined and bankrupted
[13] James WHISTLER - Won - but ruined and bankrupted anyway
[14] David IRVING - Lost - Ruined, bankrupted, went to jail
[15] Wladislaw DERING - Won - Ruined, died
[16] George GALLOWAY - Won - Still going strong
[17] Roman POLANSKI - Won - Went from strength to strength, but still faces jail in USA
[18] Jack BROOME - Won - Damages award swallowed up in court ‘costs’
[19] McDonalds Corps - ‘Won’ - badly damaged - now a by-word for crap
[20] Linford CHRISTIE - ‘Won’ - lost a small fortune in expenses - reputation tainted forever
[21] Horatio BOTTOMLEY - ‘Discontinued’ - went to jail
[22] Elton JOHN - Won - just as popular as ever
[23] Harry KEWELL - Lost - reputation tarnished
[24] Gordon RAMSAY - Won - still fucking popular
[25] John MAJOR - Won - later exposed as liar, adulterer and hypocrite. Knighted for services to….eh
[26] Angus MacLEOD - Lost - ridiculed - too early to measure likely long-term effects
[27] Anthony GECAS - Lost - reviled - escaped prosecution due to ill-health - died due to ill-health
[28] Paul McKENNA - Won - prospering
May 5, 2008 at 2:09 pm
This is very funny!
May 5, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Thank you
July 9, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Has there ever been a libel case based on a libel case? I mean if someone sues someone else’s publisher and that publisher and claimant agree that the author wrote something false and settle the case with such an admission, can the author then sue the publisher or the earlier party who sued the publisher for libel?
July 9, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Wow, Tomas - why do you ask such easy questions??
I don’t think there ever has been a case of the sort you mention - the act of settling a libel action would not result in the publisher being exposed to libel proceedings by the author - primarily because the settling of the action would either be in private or in court (where it is privileged) and thus would not be a ‘public’ statement and thus not libellous.
In any case the author and the publisher are usually sued together and rise or fall together. It would be unusual, though not unprecedented, for the publisher to settle while the author carried on defending the action.
July 9, 2008 at 6:48 pm
But could the mere bringing of defamation action be libel? And couldn’t a court allow a libel action where two parties agree that a third party lied, without his or her consent? Otherwise that third party–that actually wrote the words and whose reputation is now being damaged–would prevented from defending her/himself.