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15/02/2005
'McLibel' duo victorious in legal aid case
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that two environmentalists, sued for libel by McDonalds, should have received legal aid from the government.
Helen Steel and David Morris, who became known as the 'McLibel Two', were forced to pay libel damages of £40,000 to the fast-food giant, following a trial in the 1990's.
McDonalds launched legal proceedings against Ms Steel and Mr Morris after they handed out a series of leaflets, entitled 'What's Wrong with McDonald's. The leaflets, which were published by London Greenpeace, contained damaging allegations against the company.
The case, which began in 1990 and ran until 1997, including a High Court hearing lasting 314 days, was the longest civil or criminal action in English legal history. The judge, Mr Justice Bell, ruled that McDonalds had been libelled and Ms Steel and Mr Morris were ordered to pay £60,000 in damages, although this was later reduced to £40,000 on appeal.
However, the pair decided to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, claiming that their human rights and right to freedom of expression had been breached, because they were denied legal aid and were also obliged to justify every word of the allegations made against McDonalds in the leaflets.
The Strasbourg court ruled in favour of Ms Steel and Mr Morris, and said that their right to a fair trial had been denied, because of the lack of legal aid made available.
The case, which has been described as, "the biggest corporate PR disaster in history", is reported to have cost McDonalds £10 million.
(KMcA/SP)
Helen Steel and David Morris, who became known as the 'McLibel Two', were forced to pay libel damages of £40,000 to the fast-food giant, following a trial in the 1990's.
McDonalds launched legal proceedings against Ms Steel and Mr Morris after they handed out a series of leaflets, entitled 'What's Wrong with McDonald's. The leaflets, which were published by London Greenpeace, contained damaging allegations against the company.
The case, which began in 1990 and ran until 1997, including a High Court hearing lasting 314 days, was the longest civil or criminal action in English legal history. The judge, Mr Justice Bell, ruled that McDonalds had been libelled and Ms Steel and Mr Morris were ordered to pay £60,000 in damages, although this was later reduced to £40,000 on appeal.
However, the pair decided to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, claiming that their human rights and right to freedom of expression had been breached, because they were denied legal aid and were also obliged to justify every word of the allegations made against McDonalds in the leaflets.
The Strasbourg court ruled in favour of Ms Steel and Mr Morris, and said that their right to a fair trial had been denied, because of the lack of legal aid made available.
The case, which has been described as, "the biggest corporate PR disaster in history", is reported to have cost McDonalds £10 million.
(KMcA/SP)
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