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Concern at level of libel award against Independent group

The National Union of Journalists in Ireland has expressed grave concern at the level of damages awarded to communications consultant Monica Leech for damages in her libel trial against Independent Newspapers.

NUJ Irish Secretary Séamus Dooley said the record damages were “disproportionate and bore no relationship with reality.”

A High Court jury awarded Leech €1.87 million after it found a series of articles published in the Dublin-based Evening Herald in 2004 claiming she had been having an affair with a government minister were libellous.

“The NUJ supports the concept of jury trials in defamation proceedings; but there is a clear need for reform of the law in this area, especially in the awarding of costs,” said Dooley.

"Judges should be free to give specific direction in relation to the scale of damages. The current system allows juries to settle on an arbitrary figure. The result is outrageous sums, which are nothing more than the product of a consensus with no reference point or commercial reality.” he said.

Independent Newspapers will appeal the award to the Supreme Court.

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20june09 318
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