British high court sets new libel standard

LONDON, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Britain's top court Wednesday reversed a Saudi businessman's libel victory over The Wall Street Journal, saying the newspaper had acted in the public interest.

In a landmark ruling, Britain's Law Lords -- a panel of judges in the House of Lords and constitutes Britain's highest appeals court -- unanimously said the Journal had acted in the public interest when it said bank accounts of Saudi businessman Mohammed Jameel's company had been scrutinized at the request of U.S. law enforcement authorities.

Even though the claim itself was defamatory, the court said, the newspaper had acted responsibly in a substantially accurate piece of investigative journalism -- a valid libel defense, The Times of London reported.

"We need more such serious journalism in this country and our defamation law should encourage rather than discourage it," Lord of Appeal Brenda Hale wrote in her opinion.

The ruling is expected to provide journalists in Britain with press freedom protections similar to those in the United States.

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