Editing McLibel case (section)

{{Short description|Legal action against and by activists}}
{{Redirect|McLibel|the film|McLibel (film){{!}}''McLibel'' (film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} 
{{Infobox court case
| name = McLibel case
| court = 
| image =
| date decided = 19 June 1997
| full name = McDonald's Corp v Steel (No.4)
| citations =
| judges = [[Malcolm Pill|Pill LJ]], [[Anthony May (judge)|May LJ]], [[David Keene (judge)|Keene J]]
| prior actions = ''McDonald's Corporation v Steel & Morris'' (Trial) and 3 procedural appeals (''McDonald's Corp v Steel'' No.1 – 3)
| subsequent actions = ''Steel & Morris v United Kingdom''
| opinions =
| transcripts =
| keywords =
| italic title = no
}}
{{Infobox court case
| name = Subsequent ECHR decision
| court = European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section)
| image =
| date decided = 15 February 2005
| full name = Steel & Morris v United Kingdom
| citations = application no. 68416/01
| judges = M. Pellonpää (President)
| prior actions =
| subsequent actions =
| opinions =
| transcripts =
| italic title = no
| keywords = Freedom of expression, [[libel]], legal aid
}}
{{cite bailii|litigants='''McDonald's Corporation v Steel & Morris''' |year=1997 |court=EWHC |num=366 |division=QB}}, known as "the '''McLibel case'''", was an English [[lawsuit]] for [[libel]] filed by [[McDonald's|McDonald's Corporation]] against [[environmentalism|environmental]] activists [[Helen Steel]] and David Morris (often referred to as "The McLibel Two") over a factsheet critical of the company. Each of two [[hearing (law)|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]], made it the longest-running libel case in English history.<ref>{{cite news  | title=McLibel pair get police payout | publisher=BBC | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/820786.stm | date=5 July 2000}} {{cite news  | title='McLibel' pair in fresh court bid | publisher=BBC | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3632944.stm | date=7 September 2004}} {{cite news  | title=McLibel: Longest case in English history | publisher=BBC | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4266741.stm | date=15 February 2005}}</ref> McDonald's announced it did not plan to collect the £40,000 it was awarded by the courts.<ref>{{cite news|title=McDonald's lets McLibel case rest |publisher=AP |url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/071997/biz_mclibel.html |date=19 July 1997 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006063257/http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/071997/biz_mclibel.html |archive-date=6 October 2008 }}</ref> Following the decision, the [[European Court of Human Rights]] (ECHR) ruled in ''Steel & Morris v United Kingdom'' that the pair had been denied a fair trial, in breach of Article 6 of the [[European Convention on Human Rights]] (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 court awarded a judgment of £57,000 against the UK government.<ref>Press release issued by the Registrar. "[http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?action=html&documentId=801399&portal=hbkm&source=externalbydocnumber&table=F69A27FD8FB86142BF01C1166DEA398649 Chamber Judgment Steel and Morris v. The United Kingdom]" The [[European Court of Human Rights]], 15 February 2005. Received 1 September 2008.</ref> McDonald's itself was not involved in, or a party to, this action, as applications to the ECHR are independent cases filed against the relevant [[Sovereign state|state]].

[[Franny Armstrong]] and [[Ken Loach]] made a documentary film, ''[[McLibel (film)|McLibel]]'', about the case.