Stanford CIS

Record Pay-Out in English Libel Case

By Robin Hamman on

The Guardian's Jemima Kiss reports that a record settlement has been awarded in an internet libel case:

"A social housing firm and its owner have been awarded the UK's highest internet libel damages at the high court after an anonymous news and discussion site agreed to pay £100,000 compensation following a campaign of defamation and harassment.

Gentoo, formerly the Sunderland Housing Group, became the subject of an attack by "a seriously defamatory, abusive and scurrilous anonymous website at dadsplace.co.uk", according to a statement read in open court by the organisation's counsel, Hugh Tomlinson QC, before Mr Justice Eady today."

At today's exchange rate, the award is approximately USD $200,000.