An appeal against Tommy Sheridan’s libel victory against the News of the World has been put on hold.
Judges agreed that the proceedings should be suspended at a hearing at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
The decision, by Lord Justice Clerk Lord Gill, Lord Kingarth and Lord Wheatley, means the case will now be suspended until the Crown inquiry into perjury allegations resulting from the case is resolved.
Following the decision Sheridan, the leader of the left-wing Solidarity party and a former MSP, said he was confident the News of the World would not succeed in its appeal.
He said: “A jury of Scots people found in my favour last year and I am confident they will do so in the future.”
Sheridan won a high-profile libel victory over the paper after it printed allegations about his sex life.
The 23-day trial, in which several members of the Scottish Socialist Party gave evidence against Sheridan, led to a split, with Sheridan later establishing the rival party Solidarity.
Prosecution authorities later instructed the police to investigate allegations of perjury by witnesses during the trial.
The newspaper is seeking to overturn the verdict, after being ordered to pay Sheridan £200,000.
A News of the World spokesman said: “We are happy with the court’s decision and we are confident our stories will be vindicated.”
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