DR CRAIG STEVEN WRIGHT v MAGNUS GRANATH

DR CRAIG STEVEN WRIGHT v MAGNUS GRANATH

The defendant has not established that the claim does not have a real prospect of success. The claimant has put forward a realistic case on serious harm, which will need to be evaluated at trial once further information on publication is obtained and shared. The issues of the claimant’s reputation, the scale and context of publication, and the impact of the Tweet are not suitable for summary determination and require a full trial.

Parties
Claimant: Dr Craig Steven Wright; Defendant: Magnus Granath
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
17 May 2022
Procedural Posture
Civil Defamation (libel) / Summary Judgment Application by Defendant
Outcome
Defendant's application for summary judgment dismissed
Legal Topics
Serious Harm Threshold, Summary Judgment, Publication on Social Media, Bad Reputation Evidence, Causation of Harm, Jurisdiction
Defamation Media Law Serious Harm Threshold Summary Judgment Publication on Social Media Bad Reputation Evidence Causation of Harm Jurisdiction

Case Brief

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Parties

Dr Craig Steven Wright

Claimant

Magnus Granath

Defendant

Procedural Posture

Civil Defamation (libel) / Summary Judgment Application by Defendant

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether the claimant has a real prospect of establishing that the Tweet caused or is likely to cause serious harm to his reputation under s.1(1) Defamation Act 2013
  2. 2 Whether the scale and context of publication of the Tweet preclude a finding of serious harm
  3. 3 Whether evidence of the claimant’s alleged bad reputation or prior misconduct is admissible to defeat the claim at summary judgment stage

Ratio Decidendi

The defendant has not established that the claim does not have a real prospect of success. The claimant has put forward a realistic case on serious harm, which will need to be evaluated at trial once further information on publication is obtained and shared. The issues of the claimant’s reputation, the scale and context of publication, and the impact of the Tweet are not suitable for summary determination and require a full trial.

Court Disposition

Defendant's application for summary judgment dismissed

Orders

  • Claim to proceed to trial
  • Defendant to provide disclosure and inspection of full Twitter data relevant to publication of the Tweet