I Was Just Making A Comment ! Honest!

One of the most familiar defences in defamation law has long been the defence of "fair comment". It has always been thought of as a bastion of free speech in this country. As most people are aware, "fair" was not really the point: someone making a comment could have a defence even if the comment seemed unfair and was quite extreme and robustly expressed, as long as it was honestly expressed and based on accurate facts.

What facts? and How far do the facts need to be set out alongside the comment? were the questions dealt with in the recent case before the Supreme Court dealt with the question

A case in 2001 suggested that the commentator must set out...