Leech’s libel award reduced to €1.25m
She had been awarded the €1.87m in 2009 by a High Court jury over a series of articles in 2004 in the Evening Herald, which is published by Independent Newspapers.
Yesterday, a three-judge Supreme Court, said it regarded the libel as serious and was substituting the jury’s award with a sum of €1.25m.
The court also allowed an appeal by Ms Leech against the dismissal of another High Court action over an article in the Irish Independent in December 2004 about an RTÉ radio broadcast related to Mrs Leech.
In their appeal against the €1.87m award, lawyers for Independent Newspapers argued the June 2009 High Court jury award was so disproportionately high that it should be set aside. They said the “chilling effect” on freedom of the press had to be taken into account is assessing such awards.
Ms Leech’s lawyers said the award should stand given the serious nature of the defamation. A three-judge Supreme Court heard the appeal earlier this year.
The case arose out of a series of articles in November/December 2004 in the Herald.
Ms Leech claimed they meant she was having an extra-marital affair with then Environment Minister Martin Cullen which was strongly denied.
In the High Court, the jury found they did mean she had been having an affair and awarded her what was the highest ever libel award at that time.
The case was appealed by Independent Newspapers which had to pay €750,000 plus €100,000 costs to Ms Leech pending determination of the appeal.
In two separate judgments yesterday in relation to the €1.87m award, Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne, with whom Mr Justice John Murray agreed, said it was appropriate to substitute the figure with €1.25m while Mr Justice William McKechnie said it should be €1m. As a result of the 2-1 decision, the substituted figure was €1.25m.
