Court date set for Times criminal libel Paris showdown

The Barclay brothers have pressed on with their bid to sue the
Times editor Robert Thomson and media editor Dan Sabbagh for criminal
libel.

A preliminary hearing was held yesterday
(Thursday) and lawyers for the Telegraph-owning twins paid a
2,000-euro deposit to continue the case.

A full hearing is now to take place on February 9
where the pair could face a modest fine, likey to be no more than a few
thousand euros, but they also face the prospect of getting a criminal
record.

The action relates to an article in The Times in
November that suggested the twins “swoop on owners in distress” to
acquire businesses – something which they have categorically denied.

Thomson said: “It is unfortunate that the Barclay
brothers have not seen fit to withdraw their action in the interests of
press freedom. They had many potential remedies, including a letter to
The Times, a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission or a case
brought in Britain, where The Times is published. Instead they chose to
pursue a criminal defamation action.”

But according to a spokesman for the twins, they
chose to sue in France because they have homes in Monte Carlo and Sir
David has a medical condition which would prevent him from attending a
lengthy hearing in the UK.