United Kingdom truth defencesummary judgmentanonymity reporting restrictions

Vanessa Picker v TEW

[2026] EWHC 1331 (KB)

JurisdictionUnited Kingdom

CourtHigh Court of Justice, King's Bench Division, Media and Communications List

Year2026

StatusBinding authority

Key Principle

In a libel claim, a defendant's plea of truth concerning an allegation of sexual assault made in emails to university staff will not be struck out or defeated by summary judgment where the defendant has disclosed reasonable grounds for the defence and it is not an abuse of process or without real prospect of success.

Area of Law

General

Related Cases

TNLC & Anor v Gambling Commission & Ors [2026] EWHC 891 (TCC)

Aabar Holdings S.A.R.L. and others v Glencore Plc and others [2026] EWHC 877 (Comm)

Waterside Class Limited v Mowi ASA & Ors [2026] CAT 32

Ask CommonBench about this case

Get a detailed analysis of Vanessa Picker v TEW and how it applies to your situation.

Explain Vanessa Picker v TEW