3 weeks ago
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On Friday morning, a high court judge ruled against the actor Noel Clarke in his libel case against the Guardian.
As the Guardian’s investigations editor, Paul Lewis, explains, it marks the end of a long and gruelling litigation process.
In April 2021, the Guardian published an investigation about Noel Clarke – a Bafta-winning actor and director – in which he was accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 women. But nearly a year later, Clarke brought a libel action against the newspaper, claiming millions of pounds of damages. As Lewis tells Helen Pidd, the trial began in spring this year, with 26 witnesses coming to the Guardian’s defence.
The final judgment – that the Guardian’s investigation was both true and in the public interest – is an emphatic victory for the paper, and for the future of investigations into sexual misconduct.
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