Police statements about writer may be defamatory, judge rules

Police 'may have defamed' writer in row over X post47 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleLewis AdamsEssexGetty ImagesAllison Pearson previously said the investigation, which was later dropped, left her "dumbstruck"Statements made by Essex Police said to be about Daily Telegraph journalist Allison Pearson could be defamatory, a High Court judge has ruled.Constables visited Pearson in November 2024 after it was alleged she had incited racial hatred in a post on X, but the investigation was later dropped.She said she was left "dumbstruck" by the incident, which led the force to publish a series of press releases online with its version of events.Mr Justice Chamberlain found two of those statements, as well as later comments by the county's police, fire and crime commissioner, Roger Hirst, about the investigation, may have defamed Pearson.The journalist brought the legal action against the force and Hirst over statements she alleged related to a now-deleted post on X.She said it led officers to investigate her for a potential offence of inciting racial hatred, knock on her door on Remembrance Sunday in 2024 and invite her to be interviewed under caution.The incident was widely reported by news outlets, some of whom criticised the practice of investigating and recording non-crime hate incidents.In response, Essex Police published a statement that said officers visited "an address in Essex and invited a woman to come to a voluntary interview".Conservative politician Hirst also published an article on the Conservative Home website and was interviewed on radio station LBC about the issue.Roger Hirst, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, is defending the claims against himPearson said the police statement and Hirst's comments were all defamatory, while the opposing parties have been defending the claims.At a High Court hearing in March, Mr Justice Chamberlain was asked to consider the "natural an...