Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal


by Unity    
10:09 am - April 1st 2010

Tweet       Share on Tumblr

Fantastic news from the Royal Courts of Justice, this morning, where Simon Singh has won his appeal for the right to rely on the defence of “fair comment” in the libel action brought against him by the British Chiropractic Association.

According to one tweet, from Jack of Kent, the judgement cites both Orwell and Milton – If M’luds are breaking out Areopagitica as an authority in a case of this kind then this really is going to be the landmark decision that Singh’s supporters [including me!] have been hoping for.

   Tweet   Share on Tumblr   submit to reddit  


About the author
'Unity' is a regular contributor to Liberal Conspiracy. He also blogs at Ministry of Truth.
· Other posts by


Story Filed Under: Media ,News ,Science


Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


Reader comments


1. Carl

Fantastic news – onwards and upwards

2. Galen10

Result!! Now who is next for the Singh treatment… homeopaths perhaps?

Does this mean we can now stop wasting scarce NHS resources on un-scientific quackery?

3. Gaf the Horse

Must admit that, considering the date, I was worried this might be a cruel Chiropractor’s idea of a joke, but it’s on the BBC now (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8598472.stm), so I guess it must be true!!

Hooray!! Sanity prevails.

Does anyone know if the BCA has a right of appeal to the appeal?

4. Unity

Yes, the BCA could take this to the Supreme Court, but that would mean challenging a ruling laid down by three of the most senior judges in England, including the Lord Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls.

It would be a hell of a reach for even the Law Lords to overrule such a high-powered appellant bench.

5. Dunc

Nice to see the good guys win one for a change!

6. Shatterface

Great news for both science and civil liberties!

7. Surreptitious Evil

The judgement is available here.

8. Daniel Hoffmann-Gill

This really is great news indeed, a much need fill-up.

9. Watchman

I particularly like the fact that it appears Mr Justice Eady got it wrong it the opinion of his peers (by not allowing fair comment, perhaps a rather major flaw in a libel judge?). Perhaps this might cause him to reassess the way he handles cases, as most of the most egregious examples of libel abuse do seem to occur under his judgements.

10. anon

Am I mistaken or is there a growing trend of Eady being taken apart on appeal?

11. ukliberty

Excellent news.

12. Gwyn

Eady’s a smarter guy than people give him credit for – he’s taking the stark letter of the law and applying it in a way that produces patently unreasonable results that are consistent with the common law.

It’s almost uncannily as if he knows that the law’s an ass, doesn’t have the power to change it himself, and so is slow-bowling to the Supreme Court expecting them to bat it over the pavilion.

But of course, he’s only been to the world’s top university and worked his way through the most learned and erudite legal hierarchy in history. He’s probably not that smart when you put it like that.

13. john b

@12, interesting theory, and one that I’d like to believe… but having been to “the world’s top university”, I can confirm that plenty of total idiots manage to acquire degrees there [INSERT OBVIOUS GAG HERE].

14. john b

[sorry, just checked and realised that Eady went to the other place. Nonetheless, I can, if required, produce a list of total idiots of my acquaintance who managed to acquire degrees there...]

15. Gwyn

@ john b

Oh yeah, I’ve met some real prize idiots from both top schools, it’s to be expected when you consider who applies, and who gets in.

And we know the Bar isn’t picky either.

I’m pretty sceptical of my theory too, but I’ve watched too much good television to not think Eady’s been on some kind of four-decades-long deep cover mission to cleanse the UK of this well-intentioned but archaic doctrine before retiring into a non-executive director seat in the Private Eye boardroom (just fancy that!)

16. John77

This is excellent news BUT it only puts the case back to square one. Simon Singh no longer has to prove that the homeopaths were all deliberately lying because they knew that the stuff was completely useless, just that it is completely useless and that they would have realised it if they weren’t self-delusional.
Scientific analysis is still much more open to attack under libel laws than journalistic comment (well, of course it should be required to meet higher standards but it is not right that relatively poor scientists can be persecuted when rich newspapers are exempt).


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Tony McDonald

    RT @libcon: Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8

  2. Sven Rufus

    RT @libcon: Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8

  3. Brian Robinson

    RT @libcon: Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8

  4. Lovely Horse

    Brilliant news!! @SLSingh RT @libcon
    Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8 #SinghBCA #libelreform

  5. johnnieingram

    [Thank dog for common sense] RT @libcon: Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8

  6. Paul Evans

    Yay! Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/cnrPO8

  7. LogicElf

    Yes, yes, YES! Simon Singh has won! https://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/04/01/breaking-simon-singh-wins-libel-appeal/ #fb

  8. Roger Cornwell

    Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/biVtfL Brilliant news!

  9. Alex Farran

    RT @logicelf: Yes, yes, YES! Simon Singh has won! https://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/04/01/breaking-simon-singh-wins-libel-appeal/ #fb

  10. Andy Larkin

    RT @twitchut: RT @libcon Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8 < Yes. Good news.< Marvellous

  11. Jagan Mohan

    RT @libcon Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/biVtfL

  12. Anthony Lee

    "Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal" and related posts http://tinyurl.com/yghghfl

  13. Raincoat Optimism

    RT @libcon: Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/bR3JOb

  14. Unity

    RT @libcon: Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8 #SinghBCA #libelreform

  15. Dave Harris

    RT @libcon Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8

  16. richut

    RT @libcon Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8 < Yes. Good news.

  17. Darren Bridgman

    @libcon Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8 <great news

  18. Dan Calladine

    RT @dazmando: @libcon Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8 <great news

  19. Curly15

    RT @libcon: Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8

  20. topsy_top20k

    Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8

  21. uberVU - social comments

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

    This post was mentioned on Twitter by libcon: Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8…

  22. Tony McDonald

    Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8 /via @libcon I do hope this isn't an April fool's!

  23. Craig Shaw

    Splendid news RT @libcon: Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal http://bit.ly/92Jxd8

  24. Top news

    "Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal" and related posts: Liberal ConspiracyFantastic news from the Royal Court… http://bit.ly/daxWlM

  25. KuASha Organization » Blog Archive » “Stop Press: Simon Singh wins Appeal Court ruling on meaning” and related posts

    [...] Breaking: Simon Singh wins libel appeal - Liberal Conspiracy [...]





Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.