Bartolotti unavailable to defend her complaint for Tribunal 27 Nov.

The Tribunal to hear Bartolotti’s allegation of defamation by Max Wallis was scheduled for 27th Nov.  Though fixed for several weeks, Bartolotti called off the internal Tribunal ten days before.

Pippa Bartolotti 

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You might ask Bartolotti why she postponed and what she's doing when claiming 'not available'.  In fact she'd agreed on the 18th to attend the Welshpool 'energy debate' in the evening of the 27th (hardly feasible with the Tribunal in London), but then pulled out of that too.

This blog posts up the evidence provided from both sides for a Green-Party (England & Wales) Tribunal on Bartolotti's allegation of 'defamation' in May 2013.  She also complained about supplying a link to the satirical website pippabartolotti.info.  Her complaint raises the clash in Free Speech v. Censorship. The claim by Bartolotti's friends of 'bringing the Party into disrepute' fails, as the Newsletter is internal. Interfering in an internal election was another allegation. 
   Here is The offending Newsletter for readers to judge the defamation claim themselves.

 Max Wallis is disappointed at the postponement, pointing out the timing turned out embarrassing for Bartolotti, as she’s involved in the current ballot for Wales Green Party leader.  He points out he was suspended in July 2013 and the matter is only now coming to a Tribunal; in effect, 'suspension' is used as punishment without a hearing.  

Max Wallis Environmentalist 

In the Bartolotti case, the comments were in an internal Newsletter, which did not go public and was not used by political opponents.  She objected to a link to the critical website but that website had been public for months before.

Bartolotti’s complaint is of “defamation” (cf.  ‘undermined integrity’), so a higher hurdle.  Truthful statements are not defamatory, while ‘reasonable belief’ is a defence under the Defamation Act.