'Galloway Charity' Wins Libel Action Over Terrorist Allegations

Interpal - which shot to prominence when it was nominated as George Galloway's Big Brother charity - has won a hard-fought libel action against the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

The Trustees of the British-registered charity, which is the leading organisation worldwide involved in the funding and coordination of humanitarian relief for the Palestinian people, sued the Board after the latter published an item on its website describing Interpal as a 'terrorist organisation' and calling for its prohibition.

The Board spent two years, and an enormous amount of money, attempting to defend this allegation. However, it eventually had to accept defeat and published a statement on its website acknowledging that it should not have described Interpal in the way it did, and expressing its regret at the upset and distress caused by its words. The Board also undertook not to republish the offending allegation at any time in the future and entered into a number of additional terms of settlement, which are to remain confidential at its own insistence.

The case, which attracted a great deal of interest in the Jewish, Muslim and general media, as well as in Israel and across the Arab world, was conducted on a "no win, no fee" basis by a substantial legal team at Carter-Ruck headed by Managing Partner Cameron Doley and Partner Adam Tudor.

Get Carter-Ruck
Summer 2006