During the budget debate, an opposition Member of Parliament (MP), in his speech, said that it had been brought to his attention that Mr John Smith, Minister of Utilities, had been paid thousands of dollars by Power Company, Lipa, for awarding Lipa a multimillion-dollar contract. Next day, the headlines of the daily newspaper was, "Government Minister Caught in Corruption".

Minister Smith wishes to sue the MP and the newspaper for defamation.

A. Use appropriate cases to explain elements of the tort of defamation that Minister Smith must satisfy to succeed against both MP and newspaper. (10 marks)

B. With appropriate cases, outline TWO (2) defences that could be raised by the newspaper and ONE (1) that the MP might have. (10 marks)