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11/11/2011
SF MLA Wins Sunday World Compensation
The Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly has this week settled a High Court defamation case against the Sunday World in Dublin.
The newspaper apologised in court for accusing Gerry Kelly of being the IRA chief of staff.
Mr Kelly (pictured) settled the High Court defamation case in Dublin on Thursday and an apology from the paper was read out in court and Mr Kelly is believed to have been awarded an undisclosed sum of money.
The Sunday World also alleged Mr Kelly had been responsible for ending the IRA ceasefire in January 1996.
The paper apologised for the two articles, published in 1996, that also suggested Mr Kelly had a liaison with US diplomat Martha Pope for "ulterior motives".
Speaking afterwards Mr Kelly said: "This case could have been settled 15 years ago with a simple apology from the Sunday World but they consistently fought to keep the case from going to court.
"I felt I should pursue the case in order to combat the view in some elements of the media that republicans, and particularly ex-prisoners are fair game and easy targets.
"There is an onus on all journalists and news corporations to report in an honest and fact based manner.
"To do otherwise, as was done in this case, is to do a disservice not only to the people involved in the story but to the public in general," he said, adding that the Sunday World apology read: "On 25 February 1996 the Sunday World published an article stating that Gerry Kelly was Chief of Staff of the IRA and had responsibility for ending the IRA ceasefire in February 1996.
"On the 1 December 1996 the Sunday World published a story suggesting that Gerry Kelly had a liaison with a US diplomat, Martha Pope for ulterior motives.
"The Sunday World acknowledges that both articles were wrong," the statement said, adding that: "The Sunday World accepts that Mr Kelly has played an important part in ending the violence in Northern Ireland and made a positive and significant contribution to the peace process.
"The Sunday World apologises to Gerry Kelly for the upset that the articles caused."
(BMcC/GK)
The newspaper apologised in court for accusing Gerry Kelly of being the IRA chief of staff.
Mr Kelly (pictured) settled the High Court defamation case in Dublin on Thursday and an apology from the paper was read out in court and Mr Kelly is believed to have been awarded an undisclosed sum of money.
The Sunday World also alleged Mr Kelly had been responsible for ending the IRA ceasefire in January 1996.
The paper apologised for the two articles, published in 1996, that also suggested Mr Kelly had a liaison with US diplomat Martha Pope for "ulterior motives".
Speaking afterwards Mr Kelly said: "This case could have been settled 15 years ago with a simple apology from the Sunday World but they consistently fought to keep the case from going to court.
"I felt I should pursue the case in order to combat the view in some elements of the media that republicans, and particularly ex-prisoners are fair game and easy targets.
"There is an onus on all journalists and news corporations to report in an honest and fact based manner.
"To do otherwise, as was done in this case, is to do a disservice not only to the people involved in the story but to the public in general," he said, adding that the Sunday World apology read: "On 25 February 1996 the Sunday World published an article stating that Gerry Kelly was Chief of Staff of the IRA and had responsibility for ending the IRA ceasefire in February 1996.
"On the 1 December 1996 the Sunday World published a story suggesting that Gerry Kelly had a liaison with a US diplomat, Martha Pope for ulterior motives.
"The Sunday World acknowledges that both articles were wrong," the statement said, adding that: "The Sunday World accepts that Mr Kelly has played an important part in ending the violence in Northern Ireland and made a positive and significant contribution to the peace process.
"The Sunday World apologises to Gerry Kelly for the upset that the articles caused."
(BMcC/GK)
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