High Court Rules Essex Police, Commissioner Statements About Allison Pearson Potentially Defamatory
Mr Justice Chamberlain determined that two press releases from Essex Police and later comments by Roger Hirst, the county's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, regarding an investigation into Daily Telegraph journalist Allison Pearson, could be defamatory.
Essex Police constables visited Pearson in November 2024 following an allegation that she had incited racial hatred in a post on X. The investigation was subsequently dropped.
Defamation Claims Against Police and Commissioner
Pearson initiated legal action against the force and Hirst, asserting that statements issued following the incident — which included officers knocking on her door on Remembrance Sunday 2024 and inviting her for an interview under caution — implied guilt. The police statement indicated officers visited an address to arrange an interview after "a complaint of a possible criminal offence."
The judge concluded in a preliminary judgment on Friday that part of the Essex Police statement could be defamatory, as it might have implied Pearson's guilt. Lorna Skinner, representing Pearson, argued that police inquiries had progressed beyond preliminary stages by requesting an interview, suggesting officers had grounds to suspect a crime.
Furthermore, Mr Justice Chamberlain found that Hirst's interview on LBC radio and an article he published on the Conservative Home website could also be defamatory. Hirst, without directly commenting on Pearson's case, stated, "We can't go around ignoring crimes just because it's politically sensitive. We perhaps need to just think about how our black and Asian communities are hearing this debate." The judge ruled that Hirst's words bore the meaning that there were reasonable grounds to investigate Pearson for inciting racial hatred.
The court will also need to determine whether the statements, which did not explicitly name Pearson, would have been understood by the public as referring to her, a matter to be decided at trial.
