## Facts

- Albert Reynolds, former Irish Taoiseach, brought a defamation claim against The Sunday Times regarding allegations of misconduct published in an article about his political role.
- The case concerned the balance between protecting an individual's reputation and the freedom of the press to report on public interest matters.
- The House of Lords addressed whether journalists should be granted a defence when publishing defamatory material in the public interest, provided they acted responsibly.
- The published article was alleged to have damaged Reynolds’s reputation through accusations related to his conduct in office.

## Issues

1. Whether the publication by The Sunday Times was defamatory of Albert Reynolds.
2. Whether journalists and publishers should have a qualified defence (later termed "Reynolds privilege") for defamatory statements made in the public interest.
3. What standards of responsible journalism are required to satisfy such a defence.
4. How courts should assess claims of public interest and responsible journalism using objective criteria.

## Decision

- The House of Lords established the "Reynolds privilege," a qualified defence available to journalists and publishers reporting on matters of public interest, conditioned on responsible journalism.
- A ten-point test was introduced to assist courts in assessing whether the standards of responsible journalism were met for this defence.
- The defence is not absolute; the publisher must demonstrate the publication was both in the public interest and responsibly made.
- The case significantly influenced later defamation law and the balance between press freedom and protection of reputation.

## Legal Principles

- Reynolds privilege provides a qualified defence to defamation for responsible journalism in matters of public interest.
- Courts should consider factors including the seriousness of the allegation, source credibility, verification steps, urgency, whether comment was sought from the claimant, article tone, and the broader public interest.
- The ten-point test guides courts in determining whether the standards of responsible journalism are satisfied.
- The defence seeks to support the democratic function of the press while retaining protection from irresponsible publication.

## Conclusion

Reynolds v Times Newspapers Ltd [2001] 2 AC 127 marked a significant evolution in UK defamation law by recognising a qualified privilege for responsible journalism in the public interest, defined through an influential ten-point test and shaping the future interplay between media freedom and reputational protection.
