25th anniversary of David Irving v Penguin Books and Professor Deborah Lipstadt judgment
Tabled 13 October 2025 by Dr Scott Arthur
That this House commemorates the 25th anniversary of the landmark judgment in the case of David Irving v Penguin Books and Professor Deborah Lipstadt, handed down in April 2000; recognises the courage and integrity of Professor Lipstadt in defending the truth against Holocaust denial and historical distortion; praises the legal team led by Anthony Julius and James Libson of Mishcon de Reya for their rigorous defence which reaffirmed the importance of factual integrity in public discourse; notes the judgment of Mr Justice Charles Gray, which found that David Irving had deliberately misrepresented and manipulated historical evidence to support his ideological views, and declared him a Holocaust denier, and as having shared anti-Semitic and racist views; acknowledges the enduring relevance of the case in an age of widespread misinformation and disinformation; welcomes the recent commemorative events and exhibitions held in London, including the panel discussion chaired by Jonathan Freedland and featuring Professor Lipstadt, Sir David Hare, and members of the original legal team; further notes with concern that 25 years after that case, and 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, antisemitism is once again on the rise in the UK; further welcomes the work of groups like the Holocaust Educational Trust who fight hate by teaching the truth in schools across the UK; and calls on all Rt hon. and hon. Members to reaffirm their commitment to historical truth, the fight against antisemitism, and the defence of democratic values and the rule of law.