[2012] EWHC 1525 (QB)

A Chief Constable was unable to rely on the defences of justification and qualified privilege in a defamation claim brought following a press release which indicated that a CPS decision not to pursue a murder prosecution against the claimant was wrong because he was probably guilty. The Chief Constable was unable to prove on the balance of probabilities that the claimant had killed the victim, and the high public interest in maintaining confidence in the criminal justice system would not be served by encouraging the police to issue such statements.

QBD (Bean J)

01/06/2012