Bray v Ford
Bray v Ford AC 44 is an English defamation law case, which also concerns some principles of conflict of interest relevant for trusts law|trusts] and company law.
Facts
Mr Bray was a governor of Yorkshire College. Mr Ford was the vice-chairman of the governors and had also been working as a solicitor for the college. Bray sent him a letter, and circulated it to others, saying,
“Sir, during last summer, as you are aware, it came to my knowledge that whilst holding the fiduciary position of vice-chairman of the Yorkshire College you were illegally and improperly, as you know, making profit as its paid solicitor.”
This was held to be libellous by the jury at trial. But Cave J had directed the jury that the College’s articles did in fact allow for pay of services as a solicitor. The jury awarded £600 damages, and the question was whether the award could stand in the face of the misdirection.
The Court of Appeal held this was a misdirection, but that it was libel anyway, the misdirection was unsubstantial and the jury would have decided the same.