Select Language:
The London High Court issued a stern reprimand to British-Pakistani boxer Amir Khan and his wife, Faryal Makhdoom, criticizing their “misguided and opportunistic” effort to dismiss the defense filed by Faryal Hussain, a women’s rights advocate, in the ongoing defamation case initiated by the celebrity couple.
Master Davison’s ruling rejected the Khans’ second motion to strike out Hussain’s defense, marking the second failure of the couple to have her claims dismissed before trial. The Khans are pursuing £100,000 in damages, claiming harm to their reputation and finances over statements Hussain made on the Blue Tick Podcast and in an online petition related to the couple.
The master criticized their approach specifically, stating that the repeated attempt to dismiss Hussain’s defense caused a six-month delay in case progress and resulted in unnecessary legal costs. The court noted that any deficiencies in Hussain’s pleadings could have been more easily addressed through standard correspondences or a Part 18 Request, especially considering Hussain was representing herself.
In a notable part of the judgment, Master Davison suggested that the claimants’ motivation might have been to avoid further scrutiny of the truthfulness of Hussain’s statements, which he described as an unsound basis for a strike-out order. While Hussain’s honest opinion defense was struck down, her other defenses—truth and public interest—are deemed reasonably arguable and will proceed to a full trial.
The court acknowledged Hussain’s detailed submissions and amendments to her defense, considering dismissing her entirely disproportionate. As the case involves allegations of sexual misconduct, the court also ordered that female witnesses remain anonymous, with their identities protected from publication.
The case is expected to attract considerable media interest, as its core involves allegations of intimidation, blackmail, and sexual misconduct—questions that the court has emphasized will be subject to full judicial review. The proceedings will scrutinize private conduct, marriage dynamics, and interactions with multiple women—areas that the court has now declared cannot be brushed aside without thorough examination.
Hussain published her broadcasts in July and September 2023. The Khans are represented by Ahmed Jawad from Central Chambers Law, while Hussain is self-represented. Both Amir Khan and Faryal Hussain declined to comment on the case, and Jawad stated he had no additional remarks.
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Gemini AI
Grok AI
