In a significant legal victory, Mark Manley, of Manleys Solicitors, based in Chester, presented his case before Mrs Justice Steyn, renowned for overseeing the Wagatha Christie trial in Rooney v Vardy, at the High Court in London, advocating for Emmy Tayler.
Emmy Tayler initiated legal action against HarperCollins Publishers Ltd (UK) after the publication of Julie K Brown’s “The Perversion of Justice,” which delved into the egregious acts committed by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The book mistakenly implicated Ms. Tayler in supporting Epstein’s illicit deeds and inaccurately placed her at the residence of the now-deceased criminal, despite her being far removed both geographically and in time from her tenure as Maxwell’s junior assistant. The erroneous accusations deeply troubled Ms. Tayler, particularly as she had dedicated herself to assisting the FBI and other inquiries in supporting Epstein and Maxwell’s victims. She contended that her incorrect inclusion in the book was deliberate, a claim HarperCollins contested. Nevertheless, Mr Justice Pepperall, in a 2022 “meaning hearing,” found the publication to be defamatory towards Ms. Tayler, likely causing significant harm.
Manleys sought an expedited resolution for Ms. Tayler, urging HarperCollins to destroy remaining stock and cease further sales. The firm criticised the publisher’s attempts to limit distribution as insufficient and delayed.
In a pivotal moment in late 2023, Mark Manley represented Ms. Tayler in an appeal hearing in the Southern District of New York. He further engaged legal representation in Miami and New York to pursue action against “The Perversion of Justice” in the United States, in addition to the UK libel case.
The recent High Court session saw HarperCollins issuing an “unconditional” apology to Ms. Tayler, admitting the publication’s inaccuracies, and confirming compensation for damages and legal fees. Mark Manley relayed his client’s relief at receiving full vindication and HarperCollins’s apology, remarking, “This hearing is the culmination of over 2 years of persistence and resilience by Emmy Tayler. Not many people have the courage to take on one of the World’s largest publishers. Emmy was naturally devastated at the false allegations in the book and was determined to set the record straight. I’m delighted we were able to help her do that in this libel case about false allegations in a book somewhat ironically called ‘The Perversion of Justice’.”
Manleys recently announced its representation of Nazrin Choudhury, an Oscar-nominated writer from Los Angeles, following the success of this case.