Food critics await court ruling

A court will tomorrow deliver a judgment that could have implications for food critics the world over.

Three High Court Appeal judges are to decide whether or not to overturn the award of £25,000 (€32,850)damages to a Belfast restaurateur who sued a newspaper in the North for defamation.

The owner of Goodfella's pizza restaurant pursued a successful libel action against the Irish News for a critical review it published in August, 2000.

The jury unanimously found that the article, which criticised the food and the service, was defamatory.

However, the paper's lawyers claimed the decision infringed on its right to freedom of expression.