JEDDAH, 21 December 2003 — In a landmark decision in the London High Court on Friday, Mohammed Jameel, president of the Abdul Latif Jameel Group, won a libel case against the Wall Street Journal Europe.
He was awarded £30,000 (SR200,000) and the head company of the group, the Abdul Latif Jameel Company Limited, was awarded £10,000 (SR66,000).
The proceedings related to an article headed “Saudi Officials Monitor Certain Bank Accounts” that was published in the Wall Street Journal Europe on Feb. 6, 2002. The article alleged that the ALJ Group was “one of a number of prominent Saudi businesses which were being monitored by the Saudi banking regulators” at the request of US law enforcement agencies.
The Wall Street Journal argued that it had acted responsibly in publishing the story.
“Under English law,” said Andrew Stephenson, a senior partner of the law firm that acted for the ALJ Group, “the truth is an absolute defense. At no time during the proceedings did the Wall Street Journal offer that defense.”
There are circumstances where the claim of responsible journalism can be used as a valid defense, for example when there is sufficient public interest and the publisher has taken reasonable steps to validate the story but has only a small element wrong. “It is certainly a defense, but it is open to interpretation by the judge,” said Stephenson.
After the jury’s findings, Justice Eady granted an injunction against the Wall Street Journal Europe pending a further hearing early next year.
The ALJ Group and Mohammed Jameel are known for their support of social and community organizations in Saudi Arabia. The Red Crescent’s expansion of its services and training schemes in the Jeddah area has recently received help from the group, as have organizations helping paraplegics and other disadvantaged citizens.
Stephenson said that the article was written based on information gleaned from other publications and that the Wall Street Journal Europe would have been well advised to access the original sources. Written at a time when there was much press speculation about the use and abuse of charitable organizations in the Kingdom, he said that the article was “rife with speculation.”
The ALJ Group has been particularly careful in its internal monitoring of charitable donations, Stephenson said.
Mohammed Jameel said he was happy with the verdict.
“I am very satisfied with the outcome and grateful to the judge and jury, who paid careful attention to the evidence in the case,” he said.
He said the verdict was a full vindication of the reputation of the ALJ Group, “a business founded by my father in Saudi Arabia in 1945, which now employs 8,300 people worldwide with 2,600 in the UK alone.”
