The Lord Denier Threatens Libel Suit

Christopher Monckton has taken umbrage with my posting on him. I received a letter from him (copied below) saying I must remove the posting and post an apology or he will file a libel suit. He has my permission to file his claim in an American court.

Here is his letter:

Mr Christopher Keating

DOGW.email@gmail.com

Sir,

Libel

Lord Monckton’s attention has been drawn to a blog posting (of which a copy is annexed hereto), with you as the purported author, which was downloaded this day from http://dialoguesonglobalwarming.blogspot.co.uk/.

The posting falsely alleges that Lord Monckton is “lying” et separatim telling “outright lies” et separatim a “flagrant liar” et separatim “a liar of the highest order” et separatim a “well-known liar” who “makes up” facts; falsely alleges that His Lordship has made postings at your website under a pseudonym; falsely alleges that His Lordship has published several “personal attacks” on you; falsely describes His Lordship’s assertion that he was an Expert Reviewer for the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report as “misleading” when the Report lists him as such; falsely alleges that His Lordship is no more expert on climate than the man in the street; falsely alleges not only in the text but also in the headline that His Lordship is a “denier”, implying pejoratively and repellently a connection with Holocaust denial; falsely alleges that His Lordship’s monthly temperature report is “lying” in that it indicates that there has been no global warming for almost two decades and thereby, so you say, conceals what you assert to be the fact that global warming is continuing; falsely alleges that His Lordship is “a deceiver” et separatim “deceptive” et separatim guilty of “deceptions”; and falsely alleges that His Lordship’s intention is to furnish “evidence that climate change isn’t real”.

These characteristically malevolent and baseless allegations constitute singly and by mutual reinforcement a grave and wilful libel of His Lordship, who by these presents reserves all his rights and pleas in law and may without further notice take such steps as may be necessary to protect his reputation, including without limitation the lodgement of libel proceedings at the Court of Session, unless within seven days the offending material shall have been removed and replaced with an unreserved apology, retraction and undertaking of non-repetition in terms acceptable to His Lordship.

This letter, which is confidential, is neither to be published nor founded upon in any proceedings to follow hereupon save with His Lordship’s prior consent in writing, which is at present withheld.

Yours faithfully,

James Rowlatt

Clerk to His Lordship