The comedian Freddie Starr failed in an attempt to prevent newspapers from broadcasting allegations against him, which appeared in the news last week.
Mr Starr stands accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl, Karin Ward, in the dressing room of TV presenter Jimmy Savile in the 1970s.
Mr Savile, who died last year, is currently the subject of a police investigation into claims that he committed numerous sexual offences against young girls during the sixties, seventies and eighties.
Mr Starr instructed lawyers to seek an injunction preventing newspapers from printing the claims of Ms Ward last Wednesday evening. His lawyers sought a court order banning eleven media organisations on the basis that the allegations were false.
Mr Starr was awarded the injunction late on Wednesday but five media groups headed by ITV News then challenged the award.
The challenge was heard by Mr Justice Tugendhat, who agreed to lift the injunction on the basis that the information was not private. He added that the media was planning only to report the allegation, not to report that Mr Starr had committed the act.
"The upshot is that there wasn't any evidence of intention by any of these defendants to commit an unlawful act," he said.
"I am told by counsel for the defendants they would in any event only intend to publish an allegation which they considered they were in a position to defend," he added.
Media lawyers anticipated that it would be difficult for Mr Starr to secure an injunction in this case, as any injunction in a defamation or libel action would amount to a restriction on free speech.
Mr Starr had originally claimed that he had never met Ms Ward, but was forced to retract that statement after footage emerged of their meeting on camera during an airing of Savile's 'Clunk Click' television show in 1974.
Talking about the allegations Mr Starr said: "To be accused like this is devastating. I've got to fight back. I'm the only one in the ring at the moment and I've got people now helping me, which I feel better for."
Source:
Freddie Starr sees 'libel' injunction overturned (The Telegraph)
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