Three Lord and Lady Justices agree with CAA, dismissing Tony Greenstein’s appeal in “notorious antisemite” case as bankruptcy hearing looms

Three Lord and Lady Justices sitting at the Court of Appeal have dismissed an appeal by Tony Greenstein against aspects of a High Court ruling, deciding in favour of Campaign Against Antisemitism.

The High Court had struck out Mr Greenstein’s libel claims against us, ruling that it was permissible for us to call him a “notorious antisemite” in articles on our website, in an example of litigation humiliatingly backfiring.

Mr Greenstein’s attempt to appeal our successful defence over references to him as a “notorious antisemite” failed earlier this year when the Court of Appeal refused him permission to appeal. They did, however, allow him a hearing to argue that his claim that Campaign Against Antisemitism’s reference in one of the articles to his string of spent criminal convictions was made out of malice. That appeal has now been dismissed as well.

The Court of Appeal’s decision adds to Mr Greenstein’s financial woes. The High Court had ordered Mr Greenstein to pay £67,886 to Campaign Against Antisemitism, of which £10,000 had been stayed pending the outcome of the appeal. Now that the appeal has been dismissed, the £10,000 is now payable, along with £13,968 of additional costs relating to the failed appeal, making a total of £81,854.

Mr Greenstein now faces being made bankrupt at a hearing on 14th July after he failed to comply with a court order to send us payment, leading us to petition the High Court to appoint an Official Receiver in Insolvency to take control of Mr Greenstein’s assets and pay our costs from them.

Campaign Against Antisemitism was represented in the appeal by Adam Speker QC, to whom we are extremely grateful for appearing at the hearing pro bono, instructed by solicitors Keith Mathieson and Alex Wilson of RPC, and advised pro bono by solicitor Dr Mark Lewis who is an honorary patron of Campaign Against Antisemitism.