Who? Alex Wilson, partner at RPC, London.
Why is he in the news? Represents journalist Owen Jones in a libel claim brought by Raphael Berg, Middle East Editor of BBC News online, in relation to an article published on website Drop Site News headlined ‘The BBC’s Civil War Over Gaza’. The High Court published a judgment on preliminary issues last week.
Thoughts on the case: ‘Early hearings of this kind are now fairly common in defamation cases, with the court deciding key issues at the outset, such as the defamatory meaning of an article and whether it conveys allegations of fact or opinion. These decisions typically shape the rest of the case and how it can be defended.
‘In this claim, the judge rejected Raphael Berg’s argument that the article accused him of being, as a matter of fact, a “rogue journalist” who deliberately breached duties of accuracy and impartiality, and was intentionally biased. The judge instead found in our favour and agreed that the core allegation of bias/imbalance against him would be understood by ordinary, reasonable readers as an opinion.
‘The judgment means Owen Jones can run a defence of honest opinion (one which is recognised as a “bulwark of free speech”). Other defences may be available if needed, but the scope of the case, if it is pursued by the claimant, is now more clearly set.’
Patron Law’s Mark Lewis, for Berg, said: ‘I have a lot of time for Alex, who is a lawyer’s lawyer… The Berg v Jones case has a long way to run. The reason TPI [trial of preliminary issue] costs are in the case is because the case is not over. Sorry to spoil the premature celebration.’
Career high: ‘Media litigation is the bread and butter of my work, which I really enjoy, but I find it particularly interesting advising clients pre-publication on sensitive and high-profile stories. Getting the balance right between managing risk and allowing them to tell their story is not always easy, but one I enjoy striving to get right.’
Career low: ‘When I was a very junior associate, I was tasked with personally serving some legal papers on an incredibly (and deliberately) elusive opponent. We knew he was due to attend a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on a particular date, but you have to be careful serving documents within the precincts of the courts. I essentially had to stalk him out of the labyrinthine halls of the RCJ, but then completely lost him in the equally labyrinthine streets of Inner Temple. I was frantically sprinting around looking for him, thinking I’d blown our only chance to find and serve him, but then by complete accident stumbled across him enjoying a drink in the sunshine outside a pub.’
