Gormley wins libel case against Sinn Fein

The BBC reports the jury verdict in Declan Gormley’s, a former non-executive director of NI Water, libel case against Sinn Féin, the party’s Newry and Armagh MLA Cathal Boylan, and former assembly member Willie Clarke.  From the BBC report

Declan Gormley sued the party over the contents of two press releases it issued in 2011 in support of his sacking from the NIW Board.

The party denied the press releases were defamatory, but the jury found the party had acted with malice.

High Court judge Mr Justice Gillen rejected a Sinn Fein defence of qualified privilege.

There will be another High Court hearing on Monday when damages will be decided.

[No ‘qualified privilege’, after all, then? – Ed]  Indeed.

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