Prionsias de Rossa, Supreme Court upheld his libel award against Independent Newspapers
The Supreme Court has upheld a record £3000,000 libel award to former Democratic Left leader, Prionsias de Rossa against Independent Newspapers. The Sunday Independent article by Eamonn Dunphy had suggested that the TD and MEP supported anti-semitism and violent communist oppression. Independent Newspapers claimed that juries should be guided about the level of damages.
However all but one of the five Supreme Court judges today stated that they were not prepared to alter the traditional guidelines to be given to juries on the assessment of damages.
In the majority judgement Mr. Justice Liam Hamilton also said that the award of £300,000 in all the circumstances of the de Rossa Libel action was not disproportionate to the injury suffered. The only dissenting voice was Mrs. Justice Susan Denham who believed the award was excessive and should be reduced to £150,000. She also said she was in favour of giving guidelines to a jury on the level of damages.
