Pitman v Jersey Evening Post [2012] 1 JLR 308 (26 March 2012)

Pitman v Jersey Evening Post [2012] 1 JLR 308 (26 March 2012)

Witnesses may give evidence of extrinsic facts relied on by the plaintiff to support the innuendo meaning, but may not give evidence of the meaning they understood the published words to bear; the determination of meaning is for the Jurats.

Citation
[2012] 1 JLR 308
Parties
Plaintiff: Pitman; Defendant: Jersey Evening Post
Jurisdiction
Jersey
Judgment Date
26 March 2012
Procedural Posture
Tort Defamation / Judgment
Outcome
clarification of evidentiary rules in defamation innuendo cases
Legal Topics
Innuendo, Evidence, Meaning of Published Words

Case Brief

Summary, issues, holding and outcome

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Parties

Pitman

Plaintiff

Jersey Evening Post

Defendant

Procedural Posture

Tort Defamation / Judgment

  1. 1 Whether witnesses may give evidence of extrinsic facts to support innuendo meaning in defamation cases
  2. 2 Whether witnesses may give evidence of the meaning they understood published words to bear

Ratio Decidendi

Witnesses may give evidence of extrinsic facts relied on by the plaintiff to support the innuendo meaning, but may not give evidence of the meaning they understood the published words to bear; the determination of meaning is for the Jurats.

Court Disposition

clarification of evidentiary rules in defamation innuendo cases