A new not-for-profit company to help litigants resolve libel disputes quickly and cheaply has been launched today.

Early Resolution is the brainchild of retired High Court judge Sir Charles Gray and Alastair Brett, former legal manager of The Times and Sunday Times.

The scheme offers a voluntary binding arbitration process for parties to libel disputes, enabling them to resolve key issues quickly and confidentially, avoiding the cost and delay of High Court proceedings.

Under the scheme, the arbitrator, who may be assisted by two lay assessors, will decide the meaning of an article or internet post, or adjudicate other issues such as whether the words or images complained about are ‘honest comment’ or ‘in the public interest’.

Rulings by the arbitrator or panel will not be appealable and will be binding on all parties.

The process is intended to take no more than 28 days from the date on which both sides sign an arbitration agreement.

The commercial defendant will normally be expected to fund the arbitration, which Brett said would be around £2,500 plus VAT.

Early Resolution has drawn up a list of libel experts who will act as arbitrators. They include retired Court of Appeal judges Sir Henry Brooke and Sir Brian Neill, along with solicitor-advocate and recently appointed silk David Price QC.

Desmond Browne QC, Richard Rampton QC, Adrienne Page and James Price QC are among the other arbitrators involved.

The website lists three law firms that are associate members of the scheme which specialise in media law and are willing to advise members of the public in relation to disputes. They are London firms Reynolds Porter Chamberlain, Collyer Bristow and Wiggin.

Brett said: ‘The Draft Defamation Bill fails to include procedural reforms to force parties to resolve key issues at the start of a libel action.

‘However, our voluntary scheme will at least go some way to speeding up dispute resolution and avoiding the crippling bills that High Court procedures currently entail,’ he said.

Browne said: 'Early Resolution of meaning is not just good case management, it might mean there need be no case at all.’

For more information go to the Early Resolution website.