Collyer Bristow defends Boris against Bob Crow claim
Newly re-elected London Mayor Boris Johnson has instructed Collyer Bristow to defend a libel claim relating to his election campaign.
Boris Johnson
Bob Crow, the general secretary of the RMT Union, has filed a defamation claim after taking exception to Johnson’s poster and leaflet campaign ‘Not Ken Again’.
The high-profile campaign suggested that a vote for Labour rival Ken Livingstone would be a return to “council tax rises, broken promises, cronies, scandals, waste, Bob Crow”.
According to papers filed by Crow’s solicitor, Thompsons associate Ryan Dunleavy, the poster suggests that “Bob Crow would cause grave harm to the interests of Londoners and supported a culture of political immorality”.
Johnson has instructed Collyer Bristow libel partner Rhory Robertson and One Brick Court barrister David Glen.
They will argue against that interpretation of meaning and are likely to lean on Article 10 of the Human Rights Act, which gives a wide scope for freedom of expression, especially in political campaigns.
Robertson, who recently successfully acted for cricketer Chris Cairns in the first-ever Twitter libel claim (26 March 2012), said: “We think the claim has no merit and anticipate applying to strike it out before too long.”
Crow will be represented by Jonathan Crystal of Argent Chambers, who has advised a number of high-profile sports and media names such as cricketer Brian Lara, F1 racer Jenson Button, boxer Amir Khan, and jockey Frankie Dettori.
They are claiming damages and aggravated damages.
A spokesman for the mayor said: “Boris has instructed his solicitors that he intends to robustly defend this baseless claim.”
Readers' comments (7)
Anonymous | 11-May-2012 2:10 pm
Would be entertaining if they run with the 'truth' or 'honestly held belief' defences...
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Anonymous | 11-May-2012 3:56 pm
so where is the libel?
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Bob | 11-May-2012 4:59 pm
is the union paying Crow's legal fees? If not, how does a tube driver afford this kind of legal advice?
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Anonymous | 11-May-2012 5:02 pm
How can this possibly be classed as libel, I would have put his name at the top of the list of things trying to cause grave harm to Londoners. Unfortunately he also succeeds time and again.
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Anonymous | 14-May-2012 12:11 pm
How does the Mayor afford this type of legal advice, are all Londoners paying for it? Or is the Mayor himself paying as he happens to be personally minted?
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Anonymous | 14-May-2012 2:02 pm
@Anonymous 12.11pm I don't suppose the mayor has a choice in taking this type of advice, he is being sued. Its probably still cheaper to pay the costs of a defence, if you think you can win- and he does have the truth and honestly held belief defences as pointed out above, than just to shell out the damages. If i had a choice, I'd rather that Londoners pay Boris' defence fees than pay even more to Bon Crow, he's taken us for a ride for toomany years now.
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Anonymous | 17-May-2012 12:36 pm
Anon 2.02pm 14 May. Love the pun - but as a matter of fact Bob Crow has never taken us for a ride he actively prevents it by organising strikes for bonuses (sorry - for safety reasons) which is precisely why I despise him.
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