Overview

• The High Court found Douglas Murray’s September 2022 Spectator article to be substantially true and dismissed Hegab’s defamation claim.
• Mr Justice Johnson concluded that Hegab lied on significant issues, rendering his courtroom testimony worthless.
• The court rejected Hegab’s assertions of lost sponsorships and fundraising after finding supporting evidence contrived and noting a witness’s prior fraud conviction.
• A parallel claim under the Data Protection Act 2018 was dismissed on the basis that the Spectator article contained no material inaccuracies.
• The judgment highlights the strict requirements of UK defamation law, demanding proof of falsity and serious reputational harm to succeed.