Posted
US President Donald Trump has until December 11 to sit for a deposition with the BBC's lawyers. (AP: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
In short:
A US judge has ordered Donald Trump appear at a deposition as part of his lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation.
The US president is suing the BBC, alleging it defamed him by splicing together two pieces of his speech made to supporters before they stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
What's next?
Mr Trump has until December 11 to sit for a deposition.
A US judge has ordered President Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his $US10 billion ($14.2 billion) defamation lawsuit against the BBC by December 11.
The order from federal magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett came as lawyers for the British broadcaster complained that Mr Trump had delayed his appearance.
Mr Trump is suing the BBC, alleging that the public broadcaster defamed him by splicing together two segments of a speech he gave to supporters in the hours before the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
He is also accusing it of deceptive and unfair trade practices.
The BBC denies the spliced footage of Donald Trump defamed him. (Reuters: Anna Gordon)
Charles Tobin, the attorney for the BBC, said that with two months left in the discovery period, "we still haven't been able to depose the plaintiff."
He noted there was an agreed-upon date of October 16, but that Mr Trump had cancelled it for a "matter of national importance."
Mr Tobin said the Republican president was in fact campaigning in Georgia that day.
"He was participating in party politics and prioritised that over sitting for the deposition," Mr Tobin said.
Judge Lett said Mr Trump must sit for a deposition by December 11, or face sanctions up to dismissal of his lawsuit — unless the discovery period was extended past December 18.
Discovery, where lawyers for both sides exchange documents and other evidence, is scheduled to end December 18, and the BBC's attorneys want to make sure they have Mr Trump's deposition before that deadline.
Judge Lett said only the presiding judge assigned to the case can alter the trial schedule, and the defence said it would be open to scheduling the deposition at a later time if the trial schedule was also moved back.
Mr Trump, who has often avoided depositions, filed his lawsuit against the BBC last December.
The BBC acknowledged that filmmakers spliced together quotes from different sections of the speech Mr Trump delivered to his supporters before the storming of the US Capitol, to make it seem he was directly urging violence.
The broadcaster apologised over the editing, and the head of the BBC and its top news executive both resigned. But the BBC has denied Mr Trump's claims that it defamed him.
AP