Ashton Properties (Glasgow) LTD against Unite the Union (Sheriff Appeal Court Civil) [2025] SACCIV 36 (09 October 2025)

Ashton Properties (Glasgow) LTD against Unite the Union (Sheriff Appeal Court Civil) [2025] SACCIV 36 (09 October 2025)

The ordinary reasonable reader would interpret the tweets as meaning that Brel employees' wages were being reduced, i.e., they were to receive a pay cut. The sheriff did not err in law in reaching this conclusion, and the appeal is refused.

Citation
[2025] SACCIV 36
Parties
Pursuer and Respondent: Ashton Properties (Glasgow) Limited; Defender and Appellant: Unite the Union
Jurisdiction
Scotland
Judgment Date
09 October 2025
Procedural Posture
Civil Appeal / Appeal Decision
Outcome
appeal refused
Legal Topics
Defamatory Statements, Social Media Publications, Meaning of Words, Employment Wages, Interpretation of Tweets

Case Brief

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Parties

Ashton Properties (Glasgow) Limited

Pursuer and Respondent

Unite the Union

Defender and Appellant

Procedural Posture

Civil Appeal / Appeal Decision

  1. 1 Whether tweets published by the appellant were defamatory of the respondent
  2. 2 What meaning would the ordinary reasonable reader attribute to the tweets

Ratio Decidendi

The ordinary reasonable reader would interpret the tweets as meaning that Brel employees' wages were being reduced, i.e., they were to receive a pay cut. The sheriff did not err in law in reaching this conclusion, and the appeal is refused.

Court Disposition

appeal refused

Orders

  • Adhere to the sheriff's interlocutor of 27 September 2024
  • Remit to the sheriff to proceed as accords