LEADING law firm Kirwans last night defended its new political libel unit, following a crushing defeat last week.

The firm’s client, Bahram Noorani, dramatically discontinued a defamation case last week mid-trial. Mr Justice Coulson, the High Court judge presiding over the case, said the action “should never have been brought”.

But senior partner David Kirwan told LDP Legal that, while he was “disappointed” with the outcome, he remained positive about the unit’s first six months.

The firm announced the formation of the unit, headed by defamation specialist Michael Sandys, at the start of December.

The Noorani case was one of its first high-profile outings. The claimant now faces paying six-figure legal costs – £50,000 of which are due next week.

And Kirwans itself may be out of pocket after it emerged it took the case on a no-win-no-fee basis.

Mr Noorani, a Greasby-based Iranian property developer, had claimed Dick Calver libelled him in an email Mr Calver allegedly sent, which inferred Mr Noorani was responsible for a series of hoax calls, some silent and others malicious.

Summing up, Mr Justice Coulson told the court Mr Noorani’s own evidence “demonstrated” he made the calls. The judge also said a jury was likely to have decided the claimant was “responsible” for the malicious calls as well.