Noel Clarke loses bid to get Guardian publisher’s libel claim defence thrown out
Noel Clarke loses bid to get Guardian publisher’s libel claim defence thrown out
Share:
Actor Noel Clarke has lost a bid to get the Guardian publisher’s defence in his libel claim struck out ahead of a trial. The 49-year-old is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over a series of articles, including one from April 2021 which said 20 women who knew Mr Clarke in a professional capacity had come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct.
In a statement at the time, the former Doctor Who actor “vehemently” denied “any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing”. GNM is defending the legal action on the grounds of truth and public interest. At a hearing on Wednesday, Mr Clarke’s lawyers applied for GNM’s defence case to be struck out ahead of a full trial expected to be heard in March.
But Mrs Justice Steyn rejected the application, saying that written reasons for her decision would be provided at a later date. Earlier in the day, Philip Williams, representing Mr Clarke, accused the publisher of “perversion of the course of justice” by “fabricating” and deleting evidence, a claim described by the GNM’s lawyers as “absolutely hopeless”.
In written submissions, Mr Williams told the court: “The claimant submits there is overwhelming evidence not just of an attempt to pervert… but actual perversion of the course of justice.”. He continued: “Because of the deliberate and permanent deletion of personal correspondence between the three journalists that undertook the purported investigations, as well as fabrication, it is the claimant’s contention that it is impossible for the defendant to legitimately put forward a positive case that it reasonably believed publishing the defamatory articles were in the public interest.”.
