McLibel case
| McLibel case link (trial) | |
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| File:McLibel Starmer.jpg | |
| Keir Starmer says his fees were pro bono but were they paid by McDonald's via the Met? |
McDonald's Corporation v Steel & Morris [1997] EWHC 366 (QB), known as the McLibel case, was an English lawsuit for libel filed by McDonald's Corporation against environmental activists Helen Steel and David Morris (often referred to as "The McLibel Two") over a factsheet critical of the company.
Longest running trial
Each of two hearings in English courts found some of the leaflet's contested claims to be libellous and others to be true.
The original case lasted nearly ten years which, according to the BBC and The Guardian, made it the longest-running trial in English history. The 900-page Decision was handed down by Justice Bell on 19 June 1997. McDonald's announced it did not plan to collect the £60,000 in damages it was awarded by the courts (later reduced to £40,000).
Application to the ECtHR
In 2001, following the Decision, Keir Starmer – acting for Helen Streel and David Morris – applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) claiming that the UK government's denial of legal aid to the Applicants had resulted in a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.
In 2005, the ECtHR ruled in Steel & Morris v United Kingdom that the pair had been denied a fair trial, in breach of Article 6 of the ECHR (right to a fair trial), and their conduct should have been protected by Article 10 of the Convention, which protects the right to freedom of expression. The ECtHR awarded a judgment of £57,000 against the UK government. McDonald's itself was not involved in, or a party to, this action, as Applications to the ECtHR are independent cases filed against the relevant state.
Media reaction
In 1997, Franny Armstrong and Ken Loach made a documentary film, "McLibel", about the case. An extended version was produced in 2005, with estimated viewing audience of 25 million.[1]
In August 2025, author, broadcaster and comedian, Mark Steel, presented "The People vs McDonald's" on BBC Radio 4.[2]
References
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