Wags at war: Vardy v Rooney

2022 has started off being an exciting year, both in the UK and in Australia, for defamation participants and watchers.

In the UK, 2021 ended with the appeal judgment in the exciting and unprecedented action taken by HRH The Duchess of Sussex against a major media organisation for the misuse of private information and infringement of copyright. Whilst there was no element of defamation in that action, it did call into consideration issues often associated with a defamation claim, such as breach of privacy. That case even outshone the case in 2020 in the UK in which actor Johnny Depp unsuccessfully sued a media organisation for it having labelled him a wife-beater. That case was dismissed as the Court rejected Mr Depp's evidence, favouring the evidence of his ex-wife, Amber Heard. That case is, effectively, having a re-run given defamation proceedings commenced by Mr Depp in the USA directly against Ms Heard. The trial of that action is proceeding at the time of the