Harry Stratton prevents bankruptcy and imprisonment of Tanzanian refugee

Harry Stratton (acting pro bono through Advocate, as sole counsel in the High Court) successfully set aside judgment obtained by a former Tanzanian Cabinet Minister against a refugee, and prevented the refugee from being bankrupted and sent to prison for contempt.

Before Harry’s involvement, the Minister had sued the refugee for libel, alleging the refugee was operating an opposition media outlet which he said had defamed him. Following judgment on liability in April 2025 and a remedies trial in June 2025, the Minister obtained a court order that the refugee pay him £125,000, delete the posts, and post a summary of the Court’s decision. This placed the refugee in real difficulty, because he said he had no substantial income or assets, did not control the opposition media outlet, and could not comply with the Court’s order, even on pain of imprisonment for contempt.

Harry acted for the refugee pro bono through Advocate. He argued that the refugee had been prevented from engaging in proceedings, including because he could not afford legal representation and because he was afraid of reprisals if he named the real controllers of the media outlet. As a result, the judgment and order were set aside, and the prospect of bankruptcy and imprisonment removed. The parties have now settled the dispute.