Harney Gets €450K Libel Payout

Plazaman · 05-05-2011 08:27AM #1

So Mary Harney, who initially wanted a cool mill from Newstalk radio, won €450,000 in a settlement against the Tom Dunne show on Newstalk after Nell Mc Cafferty made comments of a very personal nature (called her an alco).

Story HERE

I'm just heading over to the Legal Discussion thread to see if a website can be done for libel. If not, I'll be back with some choice words and super personal jibes against the cow.

Claasman · 05-05-2011 08:32AM

whats the problem? She was defamed on national radio regarding her personal life. if it was anyone else, the exact same thing would have happened.

Hasmunch · 05-05-2011 08:34AM

McDonald's all round

DoesNotCompute · 05-05-2011 08:35AM

Claasman wrote: »

whats the problem? She was defamed on national radio regarding her personal life. if it was anyone else, the exact same thing would have happened.

"Anyone else" wouldn't have been awarded that much money though.

Biggins · 05-05-2011 08:37AM

The Journal.ie reported same yesterday, they were taking reporting from the words from the editor of the The Phoenix too.

Pure madness the amount she got.

I'm currently fighting a serious medical case (toxin in sofa nealy killed her and kept her in bandages head to toe for six months - made national and English headlines) on behalf of my daughter (who also has Scolioses), which has been (and still is) dragging on for years ...and we will be luck to get for her year of pain even €20k!

Yet this cow can get half a million because she was insulted over the fact that she was supposedly drinking under her own effort - in a far, far shorted period of time court-wise!

Thats the state of the Irish law at times. All fcuked up!
One law for 'them' and one more backward one for the rest of us!

Claasman · 05-05-2011 08:39AM

Hasmunch wrote: »

McDonald's all round

relevant username...

Plazaman · 05-05-2011 08:42AM

Claasman wrote: »

whats the problem? She was defamed on national radio regarding her personal life. if it was anyone else, the exact same thing would have happened.

Well firstly the show apologised 4 times during the broadcast as did Nell Mc Cafferty. Following that "one of the most effusive apologies in recorded publishing libel history were uttered" by Newstalk. Job done, everyone admitted wrongness and apologised - get over it Harney.

Not forgetting the fact that she previously settled libel cases against Magill Magazine for €25,000 and Sunday Independant for €70,000. If she approached her Ministery at the time with the same vigor as her suing culture maybe the Health system would be slightly better.

geeky · 05-05-2011 08:46AM

Biggins wrote: »

The Journal.ie reported same yesterday, they were taking reporting from the words from the editor of the The Phoenix too.

Pure madness the amount she got.

I'm currently fighting a serious medical case (toxin in sofa nealy killed her and kept her in bandages head to toe for six months - made national and English headlines) on behalf of my daughter (who also has Scolioses), which has been (and still is) dragging on for years ...and we will be luck to get for her year of pain even €20k!

Yet this cow can get half a million because she was insulted over the fact that she was supposedly drinking under her own effort - in a far, far shorted period of time court-wise!

Thats the state of the Irish law at times. All fcuked up!
One law for 'them' and one more backward one for the rest of us!

It's a total joke your situation - hope it works out. However, in this case, I don't think the award was off the wall. Harney can legitimately argue that McCafferty's libel prevented her getting very lucrative work/directorships after quitting politics (I think it's more to do with the cock-up she made of the health service, but can't prove that in court).

Also, a judge could well have thrown the book at newstalk for their irresponsibility in putting such an erratic person on the air without a time delay. The fact that Nell has a personal grudge against Harney makes the cock-up even more malicious. If it had gone to trial, I reckon punitive damages would have been handed out. And rightly so - the news media shouldn't be allowed to slur people without prove and not expect comeback.

Much as I loath the individual, I'm frankly delighted that a person who was maliciously libelled an alcoholic by a national broadcaster took them to the cleaners.

Mint Sauce · 05-05-2011 08:47AM

Well I suppose the huge unjustified severence pay, and pension, will only go so far.

:rolleyes:

Claasman · 05-05-2011 08:48AM

DoesNotCompute wrote: »

"Anyone else" wouldn't have been awarded that much money though.

Sorry, by anyone else, I meant anyone else of the same popularity(not the best choice of word here but ykwim).

Run_to_da_hills · 05-05-2011 08:50AM

She will need all the money she can get, blimps are quiet costly to maintain.

upandcumming · 05-05-2011 08:52AM

I think the amount rewarded is somewhat excessive but I'm delighted she got it. As geeky said, NewsTalk made a big boo-boo and let McCaffery on live radio. You can't go around calling people alcoholics.
And if people bothered to read the full article, you'd see that she donated other monies to a hospital.

Swampy · 05-05-2011 08:54AM

I'm jealous of her cash.

Biggins · 05-05-2011 08:56AM

upandcumming wrote: »

I think the amount rewarded is somewhat excessive but I'm delighted she got it. As geeky said, NewsTalk made a big boo-boo and let McCaffery on live radio. You can't go around calling people alcoholics.
And if people bothered to read the full article, you'd see that she donated other monies to a hospital.

Absolutely fair enough - but I condemn the unfairness of the legal system with greater vigor.
There is no balance when it comes to cases like this, in relation to other normal cases that are allowed drag on for years over smaller amounts and ordinary citizens who can't afford mega-powerful, connected legal teams.

spurious · 05-05-2011 09:04AM

She will probably give it to charity.

Oh noes! At least the rabble can still slag her cos she's fat.

bonerm · 05-05-2011 09:05AM

Hopefully she'll give it to charity and then kill herself.

mod: poster banned.

WindSock · 05-05-2011 09:07AM

One would imagine a donation to a hospital would raise her profile a little in this case.

COYW · 05-05-2011 09:29AM

Firstly, I am not a fan of Mary Harney at all but

DoesNotCompute wrote: »

"Anyone else" wouldn't have been awarded that much money though.

She should have been awarded more. The remarks made were completely OTT.

Biggins wrote: »

The Journal.ie reported same yesterday, they were taking reporting from the words from the editor of the The Phoenix too.

Pure madness the amount she got.

I'm currently fighting a serious medical case (toxin in sofa nealy killed her and kept her in bandages head to toe for six months - made national and English headlines) on behalf of my daughter (who also has Scolioses), which has been (and still is) dragging on for years ...and we will be luck to get for her year of pain even €20k!

Complete and utter rubbish. I don't believe this for one second. I work in the insurance sector and this would be a 6 figure claim.

Biggins · 05-05-2011 09:33AM

COYW wrote: »

Complete and utter rubbish. I don't believe this for one second. I work in the insurance sector and this would be a 6 figure claim.

Really?
A recent previous case: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0323/1224292847116.html

A SIX-YEAR-OLD girl, Holly David, has been awarded €10,000 damages against Argos Ltd after she developed “intensely tingly” rashes from a new sofa when she was aged two.

Barrister Andrew Whelan told the Circuit Civil Court yesterday a widespread recall of chemically-contaminated sofas was carried out by Argos in November 2009.

Come back when you really have a fcuking clue as to facts of the matter I stated!
Are you calling me a liar and making out that I am stupid? Get stuffed!
Some of us ACTUALLY DO know what we are talking about!
Its your post that is "Complete and utter rubbish".

phasers · 05-05-2011 09:41AM

When I was younger I was awarded damages when I had my back sliced up by a faulty escalator and I got 12k. I never really hear of any compo cases that go over €100,000.

Apparently hurt feelings are worth more than physical injuries.

biko · 05-05-2011 09:46AM

bonerm wrote: »

Hopefully she'll give it to charity and then kill herself.

That's too much. Banned.

folan · 05-05-2011 09:46AM

phasers wrote: »

Apparently hurt feelings are worth more than physical injuries.

depends on whose feelings are hurt too

Lanaier · 05-05-2011 09:48AM

While I don't think she deserves (or even remotely needs) the cash it's nice to know that the media can't get away with everything.

almostnever · 05-05-2011 09:52AM

phasers wrote: »

When I was younger I was awarded damages when I had my back sliced up by a faulty escalator and I got 12k. I never really hear of any compo cases that go over €100,000.

Apparently hurt feelings are worth more than physical injuries.

The problem is that the damages for defamation are determined by a jury and the damages for personal injuries aren't. Juries tend to be considerably more generous when awarding damages, and the discrepancy between damages for personal injury and defamation is a recurring theme in the law of tort.

melekalikimaka · 05-05-2011 09:53AM

Biggins wrote: »

Really?
A recent previous case: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0323/1224292847116.html

Come back when you really have a fcuking clue as to facts of the matter I stated!
Are you calling me a liar and making out that I am stupid? Get stuffed!
Some of us ACTUALLY DO know what we are talking about!
Its your post that is "Complete and utter rubbish".

your earlier statement seemed to me at least to make the case out more severe, not that it isnt serious, which it is.

WindSock · 05-05-2011 09:54AM

What kind of jury in this country would deem that an acceptable amount?

folan · 05-05-2011 09:59AM

WindSock wrote: »

What kind of jury in this country would deem that an acceptable amount?

ex-FF ministers?

eco2live · 05-05-2011 10:01AM

Look at what the state gave abuse victims. Is that not worse then being called a alcoholic in jest. Crazy amount.

She will only end up spending it on drink.

wild_cat · 05-05-2011 10:04AM

spurious wrote: »

Oh noes! At least the rabble can still slag her cos she's fat.

I was just about to enquire if we could say that? Seeing as its a bit hard for her to deny and all.

eco2live · 05-05-2011 10:04AM

almostnever wrote: »

The problem is that the damages for defamation are determined by a jury and the damages for personal injuries aren't. Juries tend to be considerably more generous when awarding damages, and the discrepancy between damages for personal injury and defamation is a recurring theme in the law of tort.

Is a tort a posh tart?

wild_cat · 05-05-2011 10:05AM

eco2live wrote: »

Is a tort a posh tart?

I'm heading to avoca later i'll enquire for you.

Harney Gets €450K Libel Payout

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