Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has won a landmark victory in his successful libel case against the BBC. The High Court in Ireland awarded him damages of €100,000, approximately $113,000. A jury has already found the BBC’s actions to be not in good faith. This decision came after the denouncement of practices brought to public attention in a 2016 documentary and its related virtual article.
At 76 years of age, Adams is indeed a towering figure of Northern Ireland’s history. Whether in the decades of struggle or in the peace process that emerged thereafter, he was an indispensable leader. The lawsuit focuses on a really shocking claim. It charges that he ordered the assassination of Denis Donaldson, a former head of administration for Sinn Féin. In 2005, Donaldson disclosed that he had been an agent for British intelligence. Tragically, he would be shot to death in his remote cottage just four months later.
Adams has maintained since the day of Donaldson’s death that he didn’t do it. He was the leader of Sinn Fein, a political party with deep, historical ties to the Irish Republican Army (IRA) from 1983 until 2018. His leadership lasted a beautiful 35 years. Former colleagues have alleged that Adams was among the IRA’s top commanders. He was never one to claim he was ever a member.
The BBC’s Spotlight programme broadcast the unfounded allegation, seen by around 16,000 people in Ireland. The web story on the claim received nearly 700 unique views. That occurred during a 14-month period following the release of the plan in September 2016. Rather, the jury’s verdict highlighted that the BBC did not report the information in a “fair and reasonable” way.
Adams said he was pleased with the ruling and that holding media organizations accountable was critical. He remarked on the need for “putting manners on the British Broadcasting Corporation,” underscoring his belief that such institutions must uphold journalistic integrity.
“The final say.” – Anonymous allegation
