Mrs Justice Steyn says former Dr Who actor ‘has to bear responsibility’ for increased scale and cost of the litigation
Noel Clarke has been ordered to pay the Guardian an initial £3m towards its legal costs from successfully defending his libel claim over an investigation in which the actor was accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 women.
Mrs Justice Steyn made the order at the high court on Tuesday after hearing that the Guardian’s total legal costs, which it is seeking to recover from the former Doctor Who star, were “significantly in excess of £6m”.
In a high court judgment handed down last month, Steyn rejected Clarke’s claims and ruled that the newspaper had succeeded in both its defences: of truth and public interest.
Making her order on Tuesday, the judge said that the actor could expect to pay a higher proportion of the costs of the winning party – the Guardian – than usual because of his conduct during the trial.
