The Decline Of English Libel Trials?

Reading libel Judgments from the English courts provides information about developments in the law but does much less in terms of informing of trends and approaches being used by legal practitioners in the field. Court Judgments also state little about the vast majority of claims which are settled without contested hearings and often without court proceedings being commenced at all.

Over recent years the balance in England has undoubtedly shifted towards early settlement, with fewer large scale trials. There are a number of driving factors towards this:

Offer Of Amends Procedure

This is a statutory provision which permits a defendant, in receipt of a libel complaint, to accept responsibility for the publication and in effect to "own up" to its mistake. In making such an offer they commit to making a "suitable correction" and "sufficient apology" and to pay "such compensation (if any) and such