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10/10/2012
Judge Rules Elton John 'Not Libelled' By Times Articles
Sir Elton John has lost a High Court ruling in a case he brought which claimed the singer was ‘severely damaged’ by two Times articles that linked him to a controversial tax avoidance scheme.
Mr Justice Tugendhat said in a short oral judgment that the two Times articles were not capable of bearing the defamatory meaning alleged by John.
John complained that two articles on “The secrets of tax avoiders” published by the Times on 21 June libelled him.
He said that the two articles, part of the Times's prominent tax avoidance investigation, falsely claimed that John had used Patrick McKenna of Ingenious Media as his accountant in a tax avoidance scheme.
The day after the story was published the Times published a correction in which it acknowledged that McKenna had never been John's accountant. A second clarification was added on 26 July stating that Ingenious Media had not been involved in tax avoidance activities.
Tugendhat ruled: "The conclusion I have reached is that the words complained of are not capable of bearing the meaning attributed to them by the claimant or any other defamatory meaning."
(H)
Mr Justice Tugendhat said in a short oral judgment that the two Times articles were not capable of bearing the defamatory meaning alleged by John.
John complained that two articles on “The secrets of tax avoiders” published by the Times on 21 June libelled him.
He said that the two articles, part of the Times's prominent tax avoidance investigation, falsely claimed that John had used Patrick McKenna of Ingenious Media as his accountant in a tax avoidance scheme.
The day after the story was published the Times published a correction in which it acknowledged that McKenna had never been John's accountant. A second clarification was added on 26 July stating that Ingenious Media had not been involved in tax avoidance activities.
Tugendhat ruled: "The conclusion I have reached is that the words complained of are not capable of bearing the meaning attributed to them by the claimant or any other defamatory meaning."
(H)
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