Two doctors have earned a major win in the UK’s High Court, in a case described by the Judge as “the most significant piece of defamation litigation” he has seen in a very long time.
The case shines a light on how journalists cover scientific issues, and how media seek to discredit those who challenge official narratives.
For decades, Malcolm Kendrick, a general practitioner, and Zoe Harcombe with a PhD in nutritional science, have publicly challenged the role of saturated fat and cholesterol in heart disease, as well as the widespread use of statin medications.
Malcolm Kendrick, general practitioner and Zoe Harcombe, PhD in nutritional science sue British tabloid for libel
Their views are contradicted by the ‘medical dogma’ which contends that high intake of saturated fat raises cholesterol and causes heart disease. Some proponents of this hypothesis argue that cholesterol-lowering statins are so safe that they could be put in the water supply.
In 2019, journalist Barney Calman began working on a series of articles to promote the benefits of statin drugs, and attack doctors he called “statin deniers.” It was part of the Mail on Sunday’s campaign to ‘Fight Fake Health News’ and counter medical misinformation.
Barney Calman, journalist for Associated Newspapers Ltd sued for libel
In the articles, Calman branded Kendrick and Harcombe as “pernicious liars” who put millions at risk of debilitating heart attacks and strokes, responsible for a “public health catastrophe” with far graver consequences than the MMR scandal.
Calman went so far as to suggest there was “a special place in hell for the doctors who claim statins don’t work.”
Calman and his publishers, Associated Newspapers Ltd, refused to apologise, remove or alter the offending articles. Kendrick and Harcombe sought legal advice in March 2019, and subsequently sued for libel in February 2020, arguing the articles “caused serious harm” to their reputations...
Maryanne Demasi