Keith-Smith v Williams is a 2006 English libel case that confirmed that existing libel laws applied to internet discussion.Warning to chatroom users after libel award for man labelled a Nazi, Owen Gibson, 23 March 2006, The Guardian
It was important because it was seen as the first UK internet libel case that represented two individuals rather than one party being an Internet service provider,"In Keith-Smith v Williams, the Claimant a former UK Independence party member has been awarded 10,000 GB Sterling and is important as it represents probably the first case of two private individuals at court as well as the use or abuse of blogging." Libel on the Internet? , Michael Coyle, Lawdit Solicitors and was the first British case involving a successful prosecution of an individual poster within a chat room.more about that UK libel decision , cybersoc.com The Manchester Evening News claimed that this contradicted a common assumption among bloggers that it was the publisher and not the writer who was responsible for any libel claims that they may generate.Bloggers beware of libel trials by Simon Donohue, Friday, 24 March 2006
Mark Stephens, the head of media law at Stephens Finer Innocent, characterised the case as "a dark day for freedom of speech with broad implications",, Times, 22 March 2006 which was denied by the plaintiff Michael Keith Smith., Letters to the Editor, Times, 28 March 2006
The case involved unemployed ex-teacher Tracy Williams falsely accusing a former UKIP candidate, Michael Keith Smith, of being a sexual offender and racist bigot.Online libel costs woman £10,000, BBC, 22 March 2006 Williams had posted as Gosforth.legal case transcript
The court ordered her to pay £10,000 plus costs.UKIP can didate wins £10,000 for internet libel Damages on Online Defamatory Statements in UK EDRI.org Although the accusations were made in a Yahoo discussion group with about 100 members, damages were awarded as the remarks were available throughout the world.Smith v Williams (UK, 2006) Caslon Analytics
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