Harry Stratton (acting as sole counsel) has seen off a libel claim brought in the English courts by an Uzbek billionaire represented by Carter-Ruck LLP. The billionaire sued an Australian human rights advocate for publications which he claimed suggested that he was guilty of serious criminal offences.
Harry Stratton represented the human rights advocate and argued that the English court did not have jurisdiction over the claim under section 9 of the Defamation Act 2013, on the basis of his client’s overwhelming connections to Australia, the billionaire's limited connections to England, and the hardship that a trial in England would cause to his client and her family.
The billionaire has now discontinued his claim in England, and the battle shifts to Australia.