Court of Appeal dismisses ex-Corbyn aide’s challenge to Rachel Riley libel win
Three appeal judges dismiss Laura Murray's appeal against December 2021 libel trial victory by campaigner against antisemitism and TV presenter Rachel Riley
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
A challenge by lawyers representing former Labour staffer Laura Murray against a judgement that she libelled Countdown host and campaigner against antisemitism Rachel Riley has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal.
A judgement handed down on Thursday confirmed that three judges had upheld the original judgement and rejected Murray’s appeal on the grounds of public interest, as well as truth and honest opinion.
Last December Riley had been awarded £10,000 in damages by a High Court judge after suing Corbyn’s former stakeholder manager for libel.
A judge had granted Murray permission to appeal against the decision in May.
But in a blow to the daughter of Andrew Murray, Corbyn’s one-time key adviser, the appeal judges concluded it was “not substantially true to report only one possible meaning” of a tweet in which Riley had written the words “Good Advice.”
Three judges found Murray’s Tweet “misrepresented” Riley’s post as an “unequivocal public statement that Jeremy Corbyn deserved to be violently attacked, when in truth was ambiguous.”
Sources told Jewish News that costs in the case, after Murray’s appeal was dismissed, could now exceed £1 million.
Riley tweeted on Thursday:”Pleased that all three judges found in my favour that I was libelled by Laura Murray, the original judgment has been upheld and her appeal rejected.
“Big thanks to my legal team William, Godwin and Mark Lewis Lawyer. Happy to draw a line under this now and move on to happier times.”
Lewis, of Patron Law, told Jewish News:”It was a shame that Rachel had to win this way. I’m sure all parties are exhausted and realise sometimes it cheaper and much better to settle. Let’s look to a brighter future.”
Riley had sued Murray over a tweet she posted in March 2019, shortly after a Corbyn had been egged during a visit to a north London mosque.
In her tweet, Murray referred to another tweet of Riley’s containing a screenshot of a post from Guardian columnist Owen Jones, in which Jones commented on an earlier 2009 egging of former BNP leader Nick Griffin.
Jones wrote:”“I think sound life advice is, if you don’t want eggs thrown at you, don’t be a Nazi.”
In response Riley tweeted:”“Good advice.
Murray subsequently tweeted: “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.”
Murray deleted her tweet after it was widely condemned on social media.
During the orginal high court hearing Riley told the judge she was Jewish and had a “hatred of antisemitism”.
She said she spoke out against antisemitism and thought the Corbyn-led Labour party was “fostering antisemitism”.
Murray told the judge her job had involved her working with the Jewish community to “try to find solutions to the problem of antisemitism which was becoming evident within parts of the Labour party membership”.
Murray was the stakeholder manager in Corbyn’s office when he was Labour leader and went on to be the party’s head of complaints, before going into teaching.
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