Appeal court told Carole Cadwalladr has ‘doubled down’ on Arron Banks ‘covert Russian relationship’ claim

Arron Banks is appealing a libel judgment in Carole Cadwalladr's favour from June 2022.

Carole Cadwalladr arron banks libel appeal — Arron Banks and Carole Cadwalladr. Pictures: Reuters/Hannah McKay and Press Gazette

The serious harm test for defamation should be a “one-off exercise” and should not be revisited following a change in circumstances, a lawyer for Arron Banks has argued in his libel appeal against journalist Carole Cadwalladr.

[UPDATE: Arron Banks wins Carole Cadwalladr libel appeal and set to receive damages]

The barrister also objected to a High Court judge’s decision that a tweet about the Brexit donor did not cause him serious harm because it was published to Cadwalladr’s followers whose opinion “was of no consequence to him”.