Kaschke v. Gray & Hilton....you thought is was all over?...it is now!

After nearly 4 years of extensive litigation, Lord Justice Thomas today at a hearing in Court 68 of the Royal Courts of Justice refused Johanna Kaschke leave to appeal against her libel case being struck out.

He supported previous rulings that the difference between what Ms Kaschke has admitted to be true and what she thinks is libel, is so insignificant to be an abuse of a full Jury trial.  It is simply not worth the candle.  Even is she was to win (and of course she would not) her damages would only be minimal at very best.

Why this statement of the bleeding obvious has taken such a long time to come about at such a huge cost to the public purse is another matter.

This is now the end of the matter for Alex Hilton and myself.  Ms Kaschke of course intends to take the matter to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).  However, in the extremely unlikely event that the ECHR consider this a case worth examining it will be the British Government who will have to defend it not Alex or I.

Fellow defendant Dave Osler also had the case against him kicked out last year.

Many thanks to Robert Dougans, David Allen Green (Jack of Kent) and former members of the CCCP Young Pioneers for their outstanding help and support. Also last but not least thanks to Stroppy and Montrose. 

The final irony (of many) in this is that Ms Kaschke claims that she got involved in British Politics because she was worried as a Council tenant about her security of tenure. She then made her long march from Labour to Respect to CPGB to CPB to Labour (again briefly) then to the Conservative Party.  Her beloved David Cameron and his Tory-led government is now responsible for introducing changes to the Housing benefit system which will mean that Council tenants such as herself who under occupy their homes (have more bedrooms than they are deemed to need) will face being evicted.

Picture from last July when case first dismissed.

UPDATE: Check Index against Censorship press release and David Allen Green's post in the New Statesman about the case "with no merit whatsoever".

Kaschke Blogging Libel Update

The legal saga and complete waste of Court time and public funds continues. Please bear with me while I try to set the scene and explain - since it is just a tinny weeny bit confusing.

In 2007 Tower Hamlet's own SPD turned Labour Party turned Respect turned CPGB turned CPB turned Labour and finally Conservative Party blogger, Johanna Kaschke, sued for libel Labour bloggers Dave Osler (Dave's Part), Alex Hilton (Labourhome) and myself.  In September 2010 Kaschke's ludicrous case against Dave had been finally and completely thrown out of court for abuse of process.  She is still as you can see threatening him with some sort of legal action.

In July 2010 her case against Alex and I was struck out also for abuse of process (pending appeals). Last week, Kaschke lost a written appeal against the decision to strike out her claim (see copy of order left) despite her "lengthy arguments". However she is still allowed to have a oral hearing requesting an appeal.  This will now take place at the Royal Court of Justice on 2 March 2011. 

Alex and I are being ably assisted by Assistant Solicitor of the Year" (2010) and The Times "Lawyer of the week" Robert Dougans and top legal blogger, David Allen Green, (aka Jack of Kent).

I am of course pleased that Ms Kaschke, who obviously as a personal libel litigant is concerned about reputational damage has decided to withdraw her incisive, intellectual masterpiece post "John Gray is a Fat Ponze".

:)

UPDATE: but I have been reminded that she still posts here "Incumbent Labour Councillor Worships Machinegun wielding hero".

Kaschke loses Libel Appeal against Dave Osler

Another Tower Hamlets saga.  Self proclaimed “Party Shopper” Johanna Kaschke failed to get permission at the Royal Court of Justice (RCJ) today to appeal against her libel case being thrown out as an abuse of process.

Kaschke was trying to sue Dave for libel over a web post he did about her on his blog.  It was a completely ludicrous claim that should never have got before any court in the first place and should never have taken over 3 years to be dismissed.

One of her libel claims against Dave was that a commentator on his blog had described her as being "one cherry short of a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte".

Kaschke has exhausted the British judicial process but will no doubt continue to try and waste public funds on other pointless legal adventures.

I’ve just had a cheery conversation with Dave on the phone.  Much to my regret I was unable to be there in person.  He is in a pub (naturally) celebrating and about to go off to our favourite RCJ Indian restaurant for a meal.  Before going off to the AWL 70^th anniversary “celebration” of Trotsky’s assassination! (or something like that?) A busy day.  My AWL invite must have been lost in the post.

Dave (Photo: on the left of course) thanks his top Solicitor-Advocate, Robert Dougans, (bottom of photo) and blogging solicitor David Allen Green (top - aka Jack of Kent).  No doubt Dave and David will post on today’s events in due course. 

Alex Hilton and I await the pleasure of Ms Kaschke company at the RCJ in a month or so as she seeks permission to appeal the judgment that her claim against us should also be thrown out. 

I can’t wait.

(pictures from Dave's partner Stroppy Bird who was herself libelled by Kaschke who keeps referring to her as Mrs Osler!!!!)