Regina v. Holbrook

13 Cox 650 (1877)

Purchase the Printed Copy at bsmsphd.com

Nature of the Case

To access this section all you need to do is click here and register.

Facts

Holbrook (D) and two others owned a newspaper which printed a libel. They handled the publishing, commercial, and advertising aspects of the business, and left the news content to an editor. That editor published a libelous story that the owners did not know about. D and the other owners were indicted for criminal libel. Proof was made at trial that showed that a libelous publication had been made in the newspaper, that D and the others owned the paper and that one of the owners was out of town when the libel was published. No proof of negligence was made. D was convicted. D appealed; the use of strict liability was erroneous.