Colin Craig has successfully overturned a record defamation ruling against him, but may be heading back to court.
The former Conservative Party leader was ordered to pay $1.25 million to ‘Taxpayers Union’ founder Jordan Williams last September.
It came at the end of a month-long defamation trial focusing on the relationship between Colin Craig and his former press secretary Rachel McGregor.
But today in the High Court in Auckland, that verdict was set aside because the amount of damages was excessive.
Justice Sarah Katz, the judge presiding over Mr Craig’s defamation case has declined to enter judgment and instead has decided that the matter will be re-tried. She says a "miscarriage of justice has occurred" that the money was more than could have been reasonably justified in this case.
In an email to Jordan Williams, Justice Sarah Katz has offered the choice of her resetting the damages, having another jury trial or going to the court of appeal.
"The judgment has accurately summarised that Mr Williams attacked me and that I was entitled to respond," Mr Craig said today.
"It has also accurately identified that Mr Jordan Williams made claims to other people that were simply not factually true".
Earlier this year Mr Craig succeeded in his defamation case against Mr John Stringer and his case against Cameron Slater starts next month in the
Auckland High Court.
Newshub.
