Gerry Adams Wins Defamation Case

DayInTheBog

Couldn't find a thread on this.

A jury cleared Gerry and awarded him €100,000 damages against the BBC.

Mod: OP edited and link for reference:

https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2025/0530/1515841-gerry-adams-court/

New Scottman

Only a fool would cry tears over the death of a British agent / informer.

mazdamiatamx5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058412448/gerry-adams-cleared

You don't understand how the legal system operates.

A Dub in Glasgo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058412448/gerry-adams-cleared

Cleared? he was not on trial

Adams won a defamation case against the BBC

ednwireland

how was that case heard in dublin and not uk ? as it was bbc ni

A Dub in Glasgo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123500194#Comment_123500194

because the TV programme and article were available to the public in RoI

end of the road

It was the only decision that could be made given he wasn't responsible.
a historic day all the same, the BBC have been shown they can't spread lies about the irish people.

DayInTheBog

Ah, the shiners are out 🤣

kabakuyu

I expect he will donate the 100k to a worthy cause.

mazdamiatamx5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123500750#Comment_123500750

Looks like the 'shiners' know the basics of the English language, unlikely some of those opposed to them. Funny old world.

mazdamiatamx5

This is kind of an emotive response.

The BBC has not been told that they cannot 'spread lies about the Irish people'. The court was not required to adjudge on that matter. It would be rather strange if someone tried to take a case against the BBC on the "basis of spreading lies about the Irish people", I don't think it would ever reach the courts.

Adams' case was deemed to have fitted the definition of libel - in other words, under the current law, Adam's and his legal team successfully established that a BBC programme libelled him, and as a result a substantial amount in compensatory damages has been granted.

In fact the thread title is wrong - Adams has not been 'cleared' nor has he been convicted of anything, as he was not on trial for any offense. It was a civil case, not criminal. He took a civil case on grounds of alleged libel, he claimed that a BBC programme libelled him and he won it. That's all that's happened.

It has been argued that it is too easy for public and/or wealthy figures both in the UK and Ireland to resort to the law courts. Arguably, there is need for reform.

If you were on that jury, you'd have been told firmly to set aside any political views or prejudices or opinions of your own, and to decide, on the basis of the law, whether that specific programme libelled him. Having been given those instructions, the jury felt that it did.

The result of the case is good for Adams' on a personal level. It is not particularly good from the point of view of the media.

28064212

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123500836#Comment_123500836

Point of order - there's no such thing as libel in the Irish legal system. The tort is called defamation.

Rather appropriately, BBC's reporting on the issue is incorrect, as they refer to it as a libel case repeatedly. Meanwhile, the word libel appears nowhere in the RTE article

Leg End Reject

Mod: Thread title updated to be factual.

@DayInTheBog, you should edit your OP.

gormdubhgorm

This result reminds me of a phrase former Provo Kieran Conway said about Gerry Adams. That Adams is the type of man who could walk out of a house with a fire raging and it falling down.. Emerging completely unscathed, And someone else would get the blame for it.

It was in this book.

https://www.orpenpress.com/books/southside-provisional-from-freedom-fighter-to-the-four-courts/

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123500204#Comment_123500204

It is far more nuanced than that.

https://amp.rte.ie/amp/1515915/

The judge directed Adams was not being assessed about his involvement or otherwise with the IRA. Going back decades before the Donaldson murder allegation.

The judge directed the jury to take Adams reputation as it was in 2016. The year when the allegations about Adams involvement in the Donaldson murder were made. So the jury were told to assess any potential damage to Adams reputation from this period ONLY.

StormForce13

The Donaldson family weren't impressed with the Peacemaker(sic)'s great lottery win:-

Jane Donaldson, daughter of the late Mr Donaldson, said Mr Adams had “trivialised” her family’s tragedy “by reducing events which damaged our lives to debate about damage to his reputation”. He “prioritised his own financial and reputational interests over any regard for retraumatising my family”, she said.

I echo the words of Adam Smyth, director of BBC Northern Ireland, who expressed his disappointment with the outcome:“If the BBC’s case cannot be won under existing Irish defamation law, it’s hard to see how anyone’s could,” he said.

And would like to offer my very best wishes to BBC NI for the appeal that they will be shortly lodging.

(above quotes were taken from the Irish Times.)

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123502059#Comment_123502059

That is interesting because Adams legal counsel said he was still friendly with the Donaldson family, during his defamation trial.

A Dub in Glasgo

The pirouetting going on to explain away the jury decision

The BBC staff involved issued video statements yesterday as if they won the defamation case

end of the road

the fact is, the BBC thought they could make bogus allegations about gerry and get away with it, and they got their arses handed to them and not before time in the courts.
it's a great result for adams especially and for the irish people, as the media both domestic and foreign know that if they tell lies/make false allegations about individuals living in this country they will be held to account.
the british media is generally unaccountable to most including the BBc, so anything that gives them a kick into reality is good as they are out of control.

StormForce13

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123502788#Comment_123502788

You're probably much too young to remember the days when serving on a jury was the prerogative of the intelligent citizen. Nowadays,as yesterday's verdict clearly shows, it's a role reserved mainly for the star struck, the retired and the unemployed.

StormForce13

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123502099#Comment_123502099

Perhaps they should sue Adams' barrister for defamation! Imagine the social stigma of being described as a friend of Adams! The Donaldsons will probably be kicked out of both the golf club and the yacht club, and their kids may be politely asked to leave the pony club.

Tin Foil Hat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123502099#Comment_123502099

Is this the same Gerry Adams who says that he wasn't in the Ra?

Fann Linn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123502957#Comment_123502957

You obviously don't know how juries are selected.

end of the road

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123503064#Comment_123503064

oh he does, they just didn't come to the decision he wanted so they are obviously the wrong type of people.

oh well, gerry won so he has to get over it.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123503037#Comment_123503037

I think Gerry gets confused with Teddy Adams. Easy mistake to make. I asked Teddy was he ever in the IRA. He said “Let me answer your question with a question. Am I not entitled to go on a picnic?”

I then asked were members of the IRA at this picnic? He said he refused to speculate, but will never disassociate himself from the IRA. It was worse than conversing with a hardcore SF boards poster. It went around in circles for ages.

.

Annd9

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123503037#Comment_123503037

Without sounding Naive...

Doesn't he have to say that ? Admitting to being a member of a secret illegal army would be pretty stupid no ? Obviously time has passed and some may say he should just admit it now but would he still be liable for prosecution?

In Say Nothing, there is a scene of Gerry doing an interview on television where he denies being a member of the IRA. The next scene shows Brendan Hughes and others in prison, seemingly devastated Gerry didn't admit to being a member and opening himself up for arrest. Ridiculous stuff really.

A Dub in Glasgo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123503219#Comment_123503219

Are you OK?

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123503358#Comment_123503358

Adam’s comrade Martin McGuinness admitted he was in the IRA (when he was in political office, but Gerry never did (as yet) I never understood that dichotomy.

The theory among some commentators is that Adams has denied it for so long he cannot admit it now. But I don’t understand given that Gerry is a “ proud Republican” or as he called others in Republicanism “a good Republican”. Wouldn’t you be think it would be a badge of honour. And Adams would be delighted to admit it?

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123503713#Comment_123503713

Don’t worry it is not a hostage situation!

(Pronounced sit-chuuuh-aaah-shun)

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-26196020.amp

StormForce13

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123503064#Comment_123503064

And you obviously don't know what "obviously" means. Why not ask you mother to buy you a dictionary!

For the record, both the missus and I have been called for jury duty on more than one occasion, and each of us has turned up as instructed before being excused due to the nature of our employments. And we weren't alone in being excused.

elperello

Not many posts in this thread about a legal victory by a leading public figure of the last half century in Ireland.

I think it might be because most people have already made their mind up about Gerry and aren't for turning.

Win or lose it seems to make little difference.