De Burgh has pursued and won 16 defamation actions.

The newspapers subsequently paid Lever £50,000 (just over £4,100,000 at 2010 prices ), more than four times the previous record for a defamation action.

It also voted to give him "full political support" in his defamation action.

The contractor brought a defamation action in Vermont state court, alleging that the false report had injured its reputation and seeking damages.

The burden of proof in defamation actions is higher in the case of a public figure.

The decision today did not exempt all letters to the editor or other forms of commentary from defamation actions.

The final outcome on appeal was to give the news media a stronger defence against defamation actions by politicians.

Australian journalists are more vulnerable to defamation action than many of their international counterparts.

A plaintiff once brought a defamation action over the allegation that he was a highwaym.

Few defamation actions end so satisfactorily for the defence.