Peter Carter-Ruck

Peter Frederick Carter-Ruck (26 February 1914 – 19 December 2003) was an English solicitor, specialising in libel cases. The firm he founded, Carter-Ruck, is still practising.

Peter Carter-Ruck
Born
Peter Frederick Carter-Ruck

(1914-02-26)26 February 1914
Steyning, West Sussex, England
Died19 December 2003(2003-12-19) (aged 89)
Uttlesford, Essex, England
NationalityBritish
EducationSt Edward's School, Oxford
OccupationSolicitor
EmployerCarter-Ruck
Known forSpecialising in libel cases
Spouse(s)
Ann Maxwell
(
m. 1940⁠–⁠2003)

Biography

Personal life

Carter-Ruck was educated at St Edward's School, Oxford. He spent three months in Germany during the 1930s, observing the rising popularity of Hitler and attending a rally in Freiburg. Upon his return, he trained and qualified as a solicitor.[1]

His daughter Julie Scott-Bayfield is also a libel lawyer.[2]

Career

Carter-Ruck's first major case was defending the Bolton Evening News successfully against a libel action brought by the Labour MP Bessie Braddock, who, the paper had claimed, had danced a jig in Parliament.[3]

In December 1995, Carter-Ruck acted for the royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke in the matter of an allegation against her by Diana, Princess of Wales, that she had aborted Charles's child.[4]

Criticism

In 1980, the Daily Express editor Derek Jameson was advised by Carter-Ruck that if he sued the BBC over their portrayal of him in a Week Ending sketch, he would win at least £25,000 in damages. The barrister in the case, David Eady QC, however advised Carter-Ruck to accept the BBC's offer to settle for £10 plus costs. Carter Ruck did not disclose this advice to his client.

The jury found the broadcast defamatory, but also fair comment and Jameson had to pay costs,[5] receiving a bill for £41,342.50 from Carter-Ruck. Jameson learned by chance of the QC's advice and Carter-Ruck's former partner David Hooper claimed that "Carter-Ruck told him a string of lies".[6] Carter-Ruck later claimed that he did not want to undermine Jameson's morale in court.[7]

gollark: There is apparently some thing where relatively minor head injury accumulates into more badness over time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy
gollark: Please be very very careful regarding safety with this stuff and avoid irradiating yourself or others for the sake of plant things.
gollark: High energy UV is probably somewhat damaging to plants, can be stopped by walls and such, and available fairly easily (I think) but please actually check this instead of expecting me to have.
gollark: You'd also want to avoid horribly irradiating yourself.
gollark: Probably. I don't know what it is.

References
  1. Morton, James (23 December 2003). "Peter Carter-Ruck - Eminent libel lawyer with a reputation for aggressive tactics". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  2. Morton, James (23 December 2003). "Obituary: Peter Carter-Ruck – Scourge of Private Eye and master of the libel laws". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  3. Wade, Alex (22 December 2003). "Peter Carter-Ruck (obituary)". The Independent. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
  4. "Diana Draws Blood Lashing out at Tiggy brings a legal warning and enrages the Queen". Time. 12 February 1996. Archived from the original on 23 December 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
  5. "No pain, no gain". The Northern Echo. 1 August 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
  6. Hooper, David (23 December 2003). "The Carter-Ruck chill". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
  7. Hooper, David (2000). Reputations Under Fire: Winners and Losers in the Libel Business. Little, Brown. pp. 234–41.
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