The Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court handed down judgment this morning in what has been dubbed the “libel trial of the century” by some commentators.

Mr Justice Andrew Nicol said lawyers for News Group Newspapers (NGN) had proved that the article, published in April 2018, had met the requirements of the statutory defence of truth under section 2 of the Defamation Act 2013, namely that its contents were “substantially true”.

Both Mr Depp, represented by defamation specialists Schillings, and his ex-wife Amber Heard gave evidence to the court. The 129-page judgment includes detailed accounts of a number of incidents where Mr Depp is alleged to have been violent to Ms Heard.

Mr Justice Nicol said: “The claimant has not succeeded in his action for libel. Although he has proved the necessary elements of his cause of action in libel, the defendants have shown that what they published in the meaning which I have held the words to bear was substantially true.

“I have reached these conclusions having examined in detail the 14 incidents on which the defendants rely as well as the overarching considerations which the claimant submitted I should take into account.

“In those circumstances, Parliament has said that a defendant has a complete defence. It has not been necessary to consider the fairness of the article or the defendants’ ‘malice’ because those are immaterial to the statutory defence of truth.

“The parties will have an opportunity to make submissions in writing as to the precise terms of the order which should follow my decision.”