Countdown presenter Rachel Riley has lost the latest round of a libel battle with a political blogger.

The case was over an article published in January 2019 which alleged she engaged in a ‘campaign of online abuse and harassment’ against a teenager on Twitter.

Ms Riley sued Mike Sivier, who published an article on his website Vox Political with the headline: ‘Serial abuser Rachel Riley to receive ‘extra protection’ – on grounds that she is receiving abuse.’

Mr Sivier argued what he published was ‘substantially true’, honest opinion, and a matter of public interest.

A High Court judge had initially ruled in favour of Ms Riley, and Mrs Justice Collins Rice concluded he had ‘no prospect’ of succeeding at a trial.

But Mr Sivier today won an appeal. Three judges ruled his public interest defence should instead be assessed at a trial.

‘I would allow the appeal,’ said one appeal judge, Lord Justice Warby, in a written ruling.

‘I would set aside the order striking out the defence of publication on matter of public interest.

‘In my view, the appropriate course is for the public interest defence to be assessed at a trial.’

The two other Court of Appeal judges, Lord Justice Henderson and Dame Victoria Sharp, said they agreed.

It comes as Ms Riley is also in a separate high profile libel battle with former Jeremy Corbyn aide Laura Murray.

Ms Murray, 32, told a High Court hearing that Ms Riley, 35, was being ‘deliberately provocative’ when she ‘applied’ a tweet containing the word Nazi to the then Labour leader.

The tweet was in relation to when Mr Corbyn had been hit with an egg while visiting a mosque in March 2019.

The judge heard how Ms Riley had initially posted a screenshot of a January 2019 tweet by Guardian columnist Owen Jones, about an attack on former British National Party leader Nick Griffin, which said: ‘I think sound life advice is, if you don’t want eggs thrown at you, don’t be a Nazi.’

She had added ‘Good advice’, with emojis of a red rose and an egg.

Later, Ms Murray had tweeted: ‘Today Jeremy Corbyn went to his local mosque for Visit My Mosque Day, and was attacked by a Brexiteer. Rachel Riley tweets that Corbyn deserves to be violently attacked because he is a Nazi. This woman is as dangerous as she is stupid. Nobody should engage with her. Ever.’

Ms Riley is Jewish and repeatedly accused the Labour party of anti-semitism under Mr Corbyn’s leadership.

Judge Mr Justice Nicklin heard Ms Murray had been ‘shocked and outraged’ by Ms Riley’s initial post two years ago.

But Ms Riley claims Ms Murray’s ‘dangerous’ and ‘stupid’ response caused ‘serious harm’ to her reputation, saying she was being sarcastic in the initial tweet and had not called Mr Corbyn a Nazi.

A ruling on the case is expected soon, after it concluded on Wednesday.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Source: Read Full Article