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Sinn Féin deputy chief Michelle O’Neill has mentioned her get together has no “joined-up or concerted effort” to silence anyone by authorized motion after MLA Gerry Kelly was ordered to pay the prices of a failed defamation motion.
Ms O’Neill mentioned particular person get together members have been entitled to determine themselves in the event that they needed to pursue authorized actions. She was talking after a Excessive Courtroom decide in Belfast threw out a declare introduced by Mr Kelly towards a journalist, ruling it was “scandalous, frivolous and vexatious”.
He was ordered to pay prices within the case he had introduced towards Dr Malachi O’Doherty, who had in 2019 mentioned Mr Kelly shot a jail officer throughout an escape from the Maze jail in 1983. The Sinn Féin consultant had claimed the feedback broadcast throughout radio interviews had broken his popularity, however grasp of Belfast Excessive Courtroom Evan Bell mentioned books written by the MLA in regards to the jail escape meant his libel motion couldn’t succeed.
Sinn Féin politicians have repeatedly been criticised for launching authorized actions towards journalists and elected representatives. Talking to reporters exterior Belfast Metropolis Corridor, Ms O’Neill mentioned: “Any of us – whether or not you’d be in public workplace or a citizen of our society – everybody’s entitled to defend their good identify. For those who really feel such as you’ve been defamed at any time, then you might be entitled, because the legislation says, to take a case. I commend that to anybody who feels that that’s the place they have to be.
“When it comes to any concerted effort or deliberate try on our half – I’m Sinn Féin vice -resident, I’m a senior member of a celebration, and I can guarantee you there isn’t a joined-up or concerted effort to silence anyone.”
Within the Excessive Courtroom ruling this week Mr Bell mentioned the libel proceedings introduced by Mr Kelly bore the hallmarks of a strategic lawsuits towards public participation (Slapp) case. “On the stability of chances, subsequently, the proceedings do bear the hallmarks of a Slapp and have been initiated not for the real functions of vindicating a popularity injured by defamatory statements however slightly for the aim of stifling the voices of his troublesome critics.” – PA
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