Hamilton lost a libel action against Al-Fayed in December 1999 and an appeal against the verdict in December 2000. The former MP has always denied that he was paid by Al-Fayed for asking questions in Parliament. Hamilton's libel action related to a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary broadcast on 16 January 1997"Appendix 33 – continued: Appendix 1 Channel 4 and Fourth Estate Press Releases" , Select Committee on Standards and Privileges First Report, House of Commons, January 1997 in which Al-Fayed stated that the MP had received up to £110,000 in cash and other gratuities for asking parliamentary questions. Hamilton's basis for his appeal was that the original verdict was invalid because Al-Fayed had paid £10,000 for documents stolen from the dustbins of Hamilton's legal representatives by Benjamin Pell.
Hamilton lost a libel action against Al-Fayed in December 1999 and an appeal against the verdict in December 2000. The former MP has always denied that he was paid by Al-Fayed for asking questions in Parliament. Hamilton's libel action related to a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary broadcast on 16 January 1997"Appendix 33 – continued: Appendix 1 Channel 4 and Fourth Estate Press Releases"  Select Committee on Standards and Privileges First Report, House of Commons January 1997 in which Al-Fayed stated that the MP had received up to £110,000 in cash and other gratuities for asking parliamentary questions Hamilton's basis for his appeal was that the original verdict was invalid because Al-Fayed had paid £10,000 for documents stolen from the dustbins of Hamilton's legal representatives by Benjamin Pell.