Human rights judges attack The Guardian

By JON REES
Updated:

 

The Guardian has been criticised by human rights judges for running up unsubstantiated legal fees of £200,000 in a case that it claimed was a victory for freedom of expression.

The ruling will embarrass The Guardian whose editor recently told MPs the 'chilling' cost of legal fees was discouraging investigative journalism.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled The Guardian and other newspapers as well as Reuters had been right not to hand over leaked documents about Belgian brewing firm Interbrew and its possible bid for South African Breweries in 2001.

However, the court cut the £767,000 claimed by the newspapers and Reuters for their solicitors to just £144,000.

A Guardian spokeswoman said yesterday: 'The Guardian was singled out by an attempt to seize its assets which it was forced to defend.'

'Our costs reflect the reality of the cost of obtaining specialist external representation to contest a case of this importance and complexity.'

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