The need for there to be a public interest in play for the defence of honest comment to succeed is well established. But the question of how the position in the common law relates to the rights of the parties under the Human Rights Act has not been addressed.  The issue was taken up in a judgment given by Tugendhat J on October 11 2010 in an action brought by Peter Andre against Katie Price ([2010] EWHC 2572 (QB)). It was subject to a postponement of reporting order under section 4(2) of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 as a jury trial was due to take place and not published until the action was finally settled just before Christmas 2011. Continue reading