Actor Noel Clarke’s libel claim against the Guardian newspaper’s publisher is set to go to trial in 2025 for up to six weeks, the High Court has heard.
The 48-year-old is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over a series of articles, including one from April 2021 which said 20 women who knew Mr Clarke in a professional capacity had come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct.
In a statement at the time he “vehemently” denied “any sexual misconduct or criminal wrongdoing”.
GNM is defending the claim on the grounds of truth and public interest.
At a preliminary hearing on Monday, lawyers for GNM said that the full trial of the claims is due to start in March 2025.
Ben Gallop, for the publisher, said in written submissions: “There are substantial disputes of fact which will require a full six-week trial to determine, at which the parties between them expect to call the oral evidence of around 45 witnesses.”
During a hearing in March, the High Court in London was told that some of the women who made the disputed allegations against Mr Clarke could give evidence.
In a judgment last year, Mr Justice Johnson said that seven of the articles “mean that there are strong grounds to believe that the claimant is guilty of various forms of sexual harassment” with the eighth meaning “grounds to investigate”.
The judge also ruled all of the articles could be defamatory, which had not been disputed by GNM over seven of the pieces.
