Of the total of 64 claims issued in 2012 and 2013, 37 were claims against broadcast or print media defendants. There were 3 trials in 2012 and 2 in 2013. All of them were determined in favour of the plaintiffs.
The aggregate damages awarded in all defamation cases in 2012 was £112.505 – with the largest award being £80,000 in the case of Declan Gormley v Sinn Fein. In 2013, the aggregate damages awarded were £68,000 (2 judgments and one announced settlement).
This is an updated version of the table from my 2012 post on Northern Ireland defamation cases.
Table 1: High Court Libel Proceedings
|
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
| Cases Received |
55 |
46 |
54 |
31 |
31 |
27 |
| Non-Court Disposals |
20 |
196 |
55 |
17 |
6 |
10 |
| Found for Plaintiff |
ND |
1 |
4 |
ND |
3 |
2 |
| Found for Defendant |
1 |
ND |
ND |
ND |
– |
– |
| Damages |
ND |
£75,000 |
£57,001 |
£31,001 |
£112,505 |
£68,000 |
Table 2: County Court Libel/Slander proceedings
|
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
| Cases Received |
– |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
| Court Disposals |
1 |
– |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Found for Plaintiff |
– |
– |
1 |
– |
– |
– |
| Found for Respondent |
1 |
– |
2 |
1 |
– |
– |
| Damages |
ND |
– |
£1,000 |
ND |
– |
– |
Notes:
Data for 2013 should be treated as provisional
ND denotes NOT DISCLOSED
A case may not necessarily be dealt with in the same calendar year as it is received.
Olivia O’Kane is specialist media lawyer at Belfast solicitors Carson McDowell