Mr. Banks is the originator of the pro-Brexit campaign group Leave. EU. He sued Ms. Cadwalladr for defamation over two instances in 2019 – one in a TED Talk video and another in a tweet.
Carole Cadwalladr Vs. Arron Banks: Who won the libel case?
Brexit campaigner ArronBanks has lost his libel case against investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr. He sued Ms. Cadwalladr for defamation over two instances in 2019 – one in a TED Talk video and another in a tweet.
Mr. Banks claimed he was defamed after Ms. Cadwalladr made statements about his relationship with the Russian state.
The case has been going on for nearly three years. It was centered on comments Ms. Cadwalladr made in a TED talk. This comment has been viewed more than five million times since it was broadcast online in April 2019. In the talk, she said: “And I am not even going to get into the lies that Arron Banks has told about his covert relationship with the Russian government.”
Mrs. Justice Steyn dismissed Mr. Banks’ claim, concluding that Ms. Cadwalladr held a “reasonable belief” that her comments were in the public interest.
Ms. Cadwalladr, who first reported the Cambridge Analytica data scandal where harvested data was used during elections, pleaded a public interest defense that allows a defendant to justify themselves based on the reason that the information was in the public interest.
