National Union of Journalists says Gerry Kelly's attempt to sue journalist over claims he shot a prison officer in the head 'never had a chance of winning'

​Seamus Dooley, assistant general secretary of the NUJ, said the determination in the High Court in Belfast was “extremely significant”.

It comes amid ongoing concern at the use of strategic lawsuits known as SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation) against journalists in both Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Mr Dooley said: “This case had no realistic prospect of success.

"Since 2020 the shadow of defamation proceedings has loomed over Malachi O’Doherty and, in a separate action, over Ruth Dudley Edwards.

"Such threats have a chilling impact on journalists and journalism.

"The unambiguous language used in the determination should give those intent on using SLAPPs pause for thought."

Mr O’Doherty is a very long-standing journalist who commentates in both print and broadcast media.

He has written several books, starting with ‘The Trouble with Guns: Republican Strategy and the Provisional IRA’ in 1997.

The Amazon description of the book says: “Malachi O'Doherty grew up as a Catholic nationalist in west Belfast, as part of the same generation as the men who were to be the leaders of Sinn Fein and the IRA.

"O'Doherty was immediately averse to supporting the IRA and felt, at the beginning of the Troubles, a loss of moral bearings, when both the state and the insurgents were in murderous form.”

Among the scenes recounted in the books are the time when “one night in May 1995 in the Felons club, in west Belfast, an IRA man called Bobby Storey directed me into a corner for a quiet word”.

"[He was] about six foot four and I am five foot two so I wasn't about to argue,” the book recounted.

"I have been asked many times if I am not afraid of being duffed up by the IRA for all the rude things I have said about them. I generally expect they won't...

"But at that moment I was contemplating that this might be a breach with tradition.”

Other books have included a biography of Gerry Adams in 2017 (‘An Unauthorised Life’), and a novel in 2020 (‘Terry Brankin Has a Gun’).