US Court Mandates Depositions in Defamation Lawsuit
A US judge has ordered Donald Trump to provide a deposition by December 11 as part of his defamation lawsuit against the BBC. It was noted that if Trump fails to testify by this date, he could face various sanctions, including the dismissal of the case.
US Judge Enjoliqué Lett has ruled that President Donald Trump must provide a deposition by December 11 in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC. Following Trump's previous cancellation of a scheduled October 16 deposition citing "matters of national importance," this decision stipulates that failure to comply could result in sanctions such as the dismissal of the case.
The legal proceedings stem from the editing and broadcasting of Trump's speech prior to the events at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, on the BBC's Panorama program. Trump accuses the BBC of "deliberately, maliciously, and deceptively distorting" his speech. The BBC, on the other hand, argues that the program in question does not meet the criteria for defamation and was not broadcast in the US, requesting the dismissal of the case.
BBC lawyers had alleged that Trump cancelled his previous deposition appointment due to election campaign activities. Meanwhile, Trump's legal team stated in a separate court filing that the president might be available for a deposition between January 11 and 22. Judge Lett emphasized that the December 11 date is binding unless the discovery period is extended.
Sources
- bbc.com · Link