John Alderdice wins damages from Tribune

John Alderdice, former speaker in the Northern Ireland Assembly, today won a court victory over newspaper allegations that he abandoned his post during a developing crisis in the peace process to buy a holiday home in France.

The Dublin-based Sunday Tribune issued an apology and agreed to pay damages for two reports published in November 2001.

At the time, the British government was urgently attempting to reconvene the Assembly in a bid to have Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble reinstalled as First Minister and fend off unwanted fresh elections to the 108-member parliament.

But with the plans up against a looming deadline, the newspaper alleged Alderdice could not be contacted during a frantic weekend because of his business trip.

It was also claimed that he resisted attempts to set up an earlier meeting of the Assembly which would have provided more time for the centre ground Alliance Party to realign themselves as unionists in order to usher Mr Trimble back into office.

The libel action was expected to last for at least five days at the High Court in Belfast, but after counsel for Alderdice had opened their case, a settlement was negotiated.

An apology read out in court by Gerald Simpson QC for the Sunday Tribune and journalist Ed Moloney said: “The defendants unreservedly retract an allegation made in articles on November 4 and 11, 2001, which may have suggested Lord Alderdice deserted his post as speaker or that he acted in any way to prevent an earlier meeting of the Assembly.

“The defendants accept at all times Lord Alderdice was in contact not only with his office but with the government.”

Legal costs and damages believed to involve a five figure sum, were awarded to the former speaker, who now sits on the Independent Monitoring Commission paramilitary ceasefire watchdog.

Outside the court, Alderdice expressed his delight that his professional standing had not been tarnished.

He said: “My reputation has been entirely vindicated and I’m happy to move on now.”

He also provided some insight into the distress the allegations had caused him.

“If you put yourself in my situation you would understand,” he added.

“I didn’t enter into such things lightly, I’m used to the rough and tumble of politics.

“You can take it if I didn’t have very strong feelings about this matter I wouldn’t have pursued it.”