ALLEGED LIBEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21143, 29 March 1932, Page 9

ALLEGED LIBEL.

NEW TRIAL ORDERED. ' JURY'S AWARD SET ASIDE. 1 % LOXDOX, March 20» * The Court of Appeal to-day allowed, with costs, the appeal by the Jockey y. Club's stewards and others against tha y judgment of the King's IJench Division Lby which Charles Chapman, a prominent * trainer, was awarded £16,000 damages for s alleged libel. v The claim arose out of the publication t. oi' a report that Chapman had been & warned oft Newciarket Heath after the ' I t, doping of one of his horses. A new trial was. ordered. The defendants were the Earl of Elles- J. mere, the Earl of Harewood, and the Earl * of Roseberv. stewards ot the Jockeyj \* Club. Weatherby and Sons, publishers of | the Racing Calendar, of which the Club are the proprietors, and tho Times.- £ The case was heard before Mr. Justice Horridge and a jury, which awarded Chapman £3OOO for publication of tha V alleged libel by the stewards to the press agencies, £3OOO for its publication to and. by the Times and £IO.OOO for its publication in the Racing Calendar. Regarding the publication in the Times arid the press agencies of the stewards'., decision warning Chapman off, Lord Jus-;' tice Hanworth said the jury should have > been directed that they could not impeach 1 the decision that the publication was)ordinarily newspapers' and news agency j ■ business, and also was information which J must have been known through protected publication in the Racing Calendar. Dealing with the plea of privilege Lord,« Justice Hanworth said: "Strong argu-* ments were that it was the duty of newaV agencies and the Times to give theii;ji clients information interesting to patrons of horseracing and concerning its from corruption." ' *