PR Consultant Wins Huge Libel Damages

June 26, 2009

dublin-four-courts

Just when it seemed that stratospheric libel damages were a thing of the past, along comes a record €1.8m award to a former PR consultant with the Irish government.

A Dublin jury found articles published in city’s Evening Herald newspaper defamed Monica Leech by wrongly suggesting she was having an extramarital affair with then environment minister Martin Cullen. Ms Leech denied the allegation and sued the paper’s owner, Independent Newspapers (Irl) Ltd, for libel.

“I’ve been vindicated, my good name has been returned and I needed to do that for my people who are good people,” said Ms Leech yesterday outside Dublin’s Four Courts (pictured courtesy of Arco Ardon). The paper’s lawyers maintained that the award was disproportionate and that they would appeal.

No one would dispute the devastating effect an inaccurate (or, for that matter, accurate) allegation of extramarital activity can have, but €1.8m in damages is a reminder that when it comes to libel, they do things differently in Ireland.

 

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Supreme Court on Twitter

February 6, 2012

Something remarkable happened today. Yes, the Supreme Court launched its Twitter feed. It even has a Twitter policy, one of caveats, disclaimers and little by way of illumination but regardless: who would have thought that the successor body to the House of Lords would stoop to engage with the world of tweets, hashtags and retweets?

We look forward to the day when court business will be conducted via Twitter. Meantime, check out this link for an excellent blog on the Supreme Court.

Not so right said Fred

February 2, 2012
fred hat

So Farewell, then, Sir Fred Goodwin.

Now you are just Fred.

Not Right Said Fred, but plain Fred.

The Forfeiture Committee did for you.

No one had heard of it before,

But Dave said it had to act, and it did.

Trouble is that no one knows what to think.

Is it ‘Alas, poor Fred‘,

Or ‘Hurray! Sir Fred is dead!’?

We don’t know.

Do you?

By A. Mob, aged 1,378 and a half.

London Goes AWOL

January 31, 2012
CNN

STOP PRESS:

Fed up with being stuck on the Thames in south-east England, London yesterday decided to move. In a dramatic gesture which augurs ill for the Olympics, the city upped sticks and relocated to East Anglia.

Lawyers were not consulted about the move, and the city’s precise motivation remains unclear. However, financiers fear that London’s decision is a sign that it wishes to downsize. Moreover, a source from London said: “We no longer want to be Britain’s seat of power. If the Scots can deregulate, why can’t we? East Anglia is a nice place where nothing happens. It’s time for a quiet life. Please respect our right to privacy.”

Elsewhere, Birmingham did not do anything, but Manchester was seen to be packing its bags. “There’s an opportunity for us,” said Manchester. “We can become London.”

East Anglia said: “We don’t mind. It’ll be refreshing to be associated with something other than fens and flatness.”

A cartologist at CNN, which broke the extraordinary news, was later fired.