One type of tourist unlikely to be put off coming to London in the
wake of the terror attacks are those planning to sue for libel.
In
the case of film director Roman Polanski, whose victory in the High
Court against Vanity Fair has so alarmed legal experts, he didn’t even
have to turn up after being allowed to give evidence by video link.
The
jury may well have came to the right verdict over Polanski, a belief
backed up by the Mail on Sunday’s exclusive interview with the model at
the centre of the case at the weekend, but it still raises worrying
questions.
Why does a French citizen suing an American magazine
use the British courts, other than that they are viewed as “claimant
friendly”?
Related
Will other fugitives from justice be able to sue in
the High Court without risking a face-to-face crossexamination by the
defending publication’s lawyer?
More importantly, do we really
want our libel laws to be the envy of litigious clients across the
globe who would be laughed out of court in their home country or stand
little or no chance of winning in the courts where the offending
newspaper or magazine is published?
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