TIMELINE: Free Speech Under Fire— Timeline of Arron Banks's SLAPP Case Against Journalist Carole Cadwalladr
This timeline provides a detailed account of the complex and multifaceted legal case of businessman Arron Banks’ libel suit against journalist Carole Cadwalladr. The case centers on Cadwalladr's remarks during a TED talk about Banks' donation to the Brexit campaign and his alleged connections to the Russian government.
The timeline covers a span of several years, from 2019 to 2023, and includes a multitude of significant events and developments. These include numerous legal proceedings, court appearances, appeals, and other events that shed light on the intricate web of relationships and interests at the heart of the case. Through a careful and comprehensive examination of these events, this timeline aims to provide a thorough and accurate overview of this significant and ongoing legal dispute.
2023
Nov 18
Cadwalladr's legal team confirms all appeals in the UK have been rejected. Despite the setback, Cadwalladr's legal team, led by Gavin Millar KC, plans to challenge the ruling in Strasbourg. They argue that the cost order infringes on her right to journalistic freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
May 23
Cadwalladr files permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court against the ruling she must pay 60% of Arron Banks' legal costs. She announces her intention to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights if her appeals in UK courts are rejected.
May 18
Carole Cadwalladr announces news of the court decision on Twitter, stating that it is “a dark day for freedom of the press, for everyone who cares about it and for every journalist & news organization that believes in public interest reporting.” CFWIJ, and international press freedom organizations, expresses alarm and disappointment at the court’s decision.
May 17
Upon Arron Banks' appeal of the verdict, the UK Court of Appeal states Banks “was the successful party on the appeal and overall," ordering Cadwalladr to pay 60% of the businessman's original costs - listing an interim figure of £400,000. She is also required to pay a third of Banks’ legal costs for the hearing at the Court of Appeal and repay almost £800,000, which Banks paid her after he initially lost the case. Cadwalladr must also issue an apology and delete certain tweets.
April 28
Journalist Carole Cadwalladr is ordered to pay £35,000 in damages to businessman Arron Banks after he partially won an appeal against an earlier libel ruling. The order mandates that Cadwalladr pay the sum by May 12.
March 1
The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition releases a statement in which they reaffirm their support for Carole Cadwalladr and express their satisfaction with the dismissal of most of the appeals.
February 28
The appeal verdict is issued, concluding one claim is in Banks' favor, and the other two in Cadwalladr's.
February 7
The Court of Appeal in London heard Bank's appeal on three claims. The panel consists of President of the King's Bench Division, Dame Victoria Sharp, Lord Justice Singh, and Lord Justice Warby.
2022
June 13
Multimillionaire Arron Banks loses his libel lawsuit against Carole Cadwalladr. The judge rules the video is not defamatory as Cadwalladr had reasonable grounds to believe that her intended meaning was true. CFWIJ and fellow press freedom organizations celebrate the court victory for Cadwalladr as a win for media freedom.
January 24
The judge reserves the judgment on the defamation case against Carole Cadwalladr as her five-day trial concludes.
January 21
In the concluding written statements, Gavin Millar, Carole's counsel, argues Banks and his close associate, Andy Wigmore, director of communications for Leave.EU, gave conflicting and misleading accounts regarding Banks' meetings with Russian officials and the nature of his relationship with the Russian government. The matter is of significant public interest, as reported by The Guardian.
January 14
The first day of the trial at the high court in central London starts. Gavin Millar QC, representing Cadwalladr, says what his client said she “was legally entitled to say as part of a discussion about matters of the highest public interest."
January 10
Carole Cadwalladr appears in court to defend herself against libel charges filed by Arron Banks. Carole maintains that the statement was made in the public interest.
2020
January
The judge finds two of the four filed claims to be "far-fetched and divorced from the specific context in which those words were used," resulting in their dismissal.
2019
December 12
In a preliminary ruling regarding the interpretation of Ms. Cadwalladr’s statement, Mr. Justice Saini concludes that an average listener would have understood her statement to mean: “On more than one occasion, Mr. Banks told untruths about a secret relationship he had with the Russian Government in relation to acceptance of foreign funding of electoral campaigns in breach of the law on such funding.”
July 12
Banks files four claims against Carole Cadwalladr, claiming her remarks are defamatory. Legal proceedings are initiated.
April 16
In her 15-minute TED talk, Carole Cadwalladr briefly mentions the Arron Banks donation to the Brexit campaign during a lecture in 2019. While discussing the impact of Facebook (now Meta) on the electoral process, Cadwalladr suggests that Banks's £8 million donation to Farage's Brexit campaign in 2016 violated electoral and data laws. Additionally, she asserts that Banks has not been forthcoming about his past relationship with the Russian government. Banks repeatedly denies involvement with the Russian government and accusations of illegality regarding his donations.