Journalist receives apology as defamation case settled

A journalist has settled her defamation action against her former employers, Independent Newspapers.

Yesterday at the High Court, Independent Newspapers unreservedly apologised to Gemma O’Doherty for any stress and hardship caused to her. The case was settled with undisclosed damages to the journalist.

Ms O’Doherty had brought defamation proceedings against Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd, and Stephen Rae — the editor in chief of the Irish Independent, Sunday Independent, and Herald newspapers — as a result of her treatment, and subsequent departure from the newspaper, following an investigation she carried out into penalty points.