No Sinn Fein co-ordinated campaign of libel actions against media – Pearse Doherty TD

Pearse Doherty said any actions taken by party members are individual decisions.

He was speaking after a High Court judge in Belfast threw out a claim brought by party MLA Gerry Kelly against a journalist, ruling it was “scandalous, frivolous and vexatious”.

Mr Kelly was also ordered to pay costs in the case he had brought against Malachi O’Doherty, who had stated in two radio interviews that the Sinn Fein representative had shot a prison officer during an escape from the Maze prison in 1983.

Mr Kelly had claimed the broadcast comments from Mr O’Doherty had damaged his reputation, but Master of Belfast High Court Evan Bell said books written by the MLA about the prison escape meant his libel action could not succeed.

The judge’s ruling stated: “For that reason the court strikes them out on the basis that they are scandalous, frivolous and vexatious.”

Politicians in Ireland have previously criticised Sinn Fein for launching a number of legal actions against journalists and elected representatives.

But speaking to Newstalk, Mr Doherty said Sinn Fein was not the only party which launched legal action.

He said: “They are individual actions, there is no decision in terms of Sinn Fein to take individual cases against anybody.

“There are many actions that have been taken by Fianna Fail or Fine Gael representatives….this isn’t unique at all.

“People in the media are also taking cases against other people in news outlets in the media.

“It is a fair point that if I am defamed, whether I am a member in public office or not, I have the right to defend my good name; I have taken that avenue in the past and I will take that avenue in the future.”

Mr Doherty added: “I don’t know Gerry Kelly’s case, I wouldn’t expect to know Gerry Kelly’s case, it is up to each individual whether they are a member of Sinn Fein or not to take a case.

“I can tell you for a fact that it is not a co-ordinated campaign.”

In the High Court ruling this week, Master Bell said that the libel proceedings brought by Mr Kelly bore the hallmarks of a Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (Slapp) case.

He said: “On the balance of probabilities therefore the proceedings do bear the hallmarks of a Slapp and have been initiated not for the genuine purposes of vindicating a reputation injured by defamatory statements, but rather for the purpose of stifling the voices of his troublesome critics.”