Latest news with #SLAPP
Irish Independent
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Jim O'Callaghan plans to reform defamation legislation in aftermath of Gerry Adams's High Court victory
A law lecturer in Trinity College Dublin said no defence under Section 26 of the Defamation Act 2009 — which allows publishers to argue publication was fair and reasonable and in the public interest — has ever succeeded in this country. It comes as Gerry Adams was last week awarded €100,000 in damages after being defamed in a BBC documentary and news article. The jury last week rejected defences put forward by the BBC that the allegation was published in good faith and that it was fair and reasonable to do so. Section 26 of the Defamation Act 2009 outlines the possible defence of fair and reasonable publication, citing the need for the publication to be in good faith and for the public benefit. 'As our legal team made clear, if the BBC's case cannot be won under existing Irish defamation law, it's hard to see how anyone's could,' said the head of BBC Northern Ireland Adam Smyth, speaking after the jury's decision. Defamation reforms passed committee stage in the Dáil at the end of April and are being passed 'as a matter of priority' Eoin O'Dell, a law lecturer in Trinity College Dublin, said that no Section 26 defence has ever succeeded in this country. He said the Adams case 'shows how limited a defence it is for media'. He said the defence needs to be simplified, as had happened with defamation law in England. The Department of Justice confirmed that Jim O'Callaghan intends to bring forward an amendment 'to provide for a clearer and simpler defence of fair and reasonable publication in the public interest'. The Government has also promised to pass defamation law reforms with safeguards against strategic lawsuits against public participation, also known as SLAPP suits. Defamation reforms passed committee stage in the Dáil at the end of April, and are now being passed 'as a matter of priority', said the spokesperson at the Department. Sinn Féin sources this weekend said that even though they believe the former party leader's reputation has now been restored, he will not be running in the race for the Áras later this year. Sinn Féin members have been asked by party headquarters for their ideas on how the party should approach the presidential election.
Miami Herald
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Smokey Robinson files defamation suit against sexual assault accusers
May 29 (UPI) --Smokey Robinson and his wife, Frances Robinson, filed a defamation suit against a group of women who have accused him of sexual assault. The cross-complaint suit claims the sexual assault allegations by four former housekeepers, filed on May 6, were "fabricated" in order to support an "extortionate scheme." The suit contends that the Robinsons did not harm or abuse the former housekeepers and seeks to force the women who filed their suit using "Jane Doe" names to be publicly identified. It also alleges they first demanded $100 million before filing the suit. "When the Robinsons resisted the extortionate demands, plaintiffs filed this lawsuit," attorney Christopher Frost wrote. The suit further alleges that John Harris, an attorney for the housekeepers, and his firm Harris and Hayden, defamed Robinson by referring to the singer as a "serial and sick rapist" who must be stopped. Harris and Hayden said in a Wednesday statement they will file a motion to strike down Robinson's suit based on California's law on "strategic lawsuits against public participation," or SLAPP. The law was designed to prevent harassing lawsuits filed by wealthy celebrities and corporations intended to silence free speech and intimidate accusers. To succeed in legally striking down a SLAPP lawsuit, defendants must show they are being sued for "any act ... in furtherance of the person's right of petition or free speech under the United States Constitution or the California Constitution in connection with a public issue." "The cross-complaint ... is nothing more than an attempt to silence and intimidate the survivors of Mr. Robinson's sexual battery and assault. It is a baseless and vindictive legal maneuver designed to re-victimize, shift blame and discourage others from coming forward," lawyers for the women accusing Robinson said in a statement to USA Today. The women accusing Robinson alleged in their suit that Robinson committed sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, and gender violence for years. On May 15, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced Robinson is under criminal investigation for sexual assault. Robinson has denied the allegations. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Smokey Robinson files defamation suit against sexual assault accusers
May 29 (UPI) -- Smokey Robinson and his wife, Frances Robinson, filed a defamation suit against a group of women who have accused him of sexual assault. The cross-complaint suit claims the sexual assault allegations by four former housekeepers, filed on May 6, were "fabricated" in order to support an "extortionate scheme." The suit contends that the Robinsons did not harm or abuse the former housekeepers and seeks to force the women who filed their suit using "Jane Doe" names to be publicly identified. It also alleges they first demanded $100 million before filing the suit. "When the Robinsons resisted the extortionate demands, plaintiffs filed this lawsuit," attorney Christopher Frost wrote. The suit further alleges that John Harris, an attorney for the housekeepers, and his firm Harris and Hayden, defamed Robinson by referring to the singer as a "serial and sick rapist" who must be stopped. Harris and Hayden said in a Wednesday statement they will file a motion to strike down Robinson's suit based on California's law on "strategic lawsuits against public participation," or SLAPP. The law was designed to prevent harassing lawsuits filed by wealthy celebrities and corporations intended to silence free speech and intimidate accusers. To succeed in legally striking down a SLAPP lawsuit, defendants must show they are being sued for "any act ... in furtherance of the person's right of petition or free speech under the United States Constitution or the California Constitution in connection with a public issue." "The cross-complaint ... is nothing more than an attempt to silence and intimidate the survivors of Mr. Robinson's sexual battery and assault. It is a baseless and vindictive legal maneuver designed to re-victimize, shift blame and discourage others from coming forward," lawyers for the women accusing Robinson said in a statement to USA Today. The women accusing Robinson alleged in their suit that Robinson committed sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, and gender violence for years. On May 15, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced Robinson is under criminal investigation for sexual assault. Robinson has denied the allegations.
UPI
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Smokey Robinson files defamation suit against sexual assault accusers
In response to sexual assault allegations by four former housekeepers, Motown singer Smokey Robinson and his wife Frances Wednesday sued his accusers for alleged defamation. Robinson is under criminal investigation for sexual assault and denies the allegations. File Photo by Howard Shen/UPI | License Photo May 29 (UPI) -- Smokey Robinson and his wife, Frances Robinson, filed a defamation suit against a group of women who have accused him of sexual assault. The cross-complaint suit claims the sexual assault allegations by four former housekeepers, filed on May 6, were "fabricated" in order to support an "extortionate scheme." The suit contends that the Robinsons did not harm or abuse the former housekeepers and seeks to force the women who filed their suit using "Jane Doe" names to be publicly identified. It also alleges they first demanded $100 million before filing the suit. "When the Robinsons resisted the extortionate demands, plaintiffs filed this lawsuit," attorney Christopher Frost wrote. The suit further alleges that John Harris, an attorney for the housekeepers, and his firm Harris and Hayden, defamed Robinson by referring to the singer as a "serial and sick rapist" who must be stopped. Harris and Hayden said in a Wednesday statement they will file a motion to strike down Robinson's suit based on California's law on "strategic lawsuits against public participation," or SLAPP. The law was designed to prevent harassing lawsuits filed by wealthy celebrities and corporations intended to silence free speech and intimidate accusers. To succeed in legally striking down a SLAPP lawsuit, defendants must show they are being sued for "any act ... in furtherance of the person's right of petition or free speech under the United States Constitution or the California Constitution in connection with a public issue." "The cross-complaint ... is nothing more than an attempt to silence and intimidate the survivors of Mr. Robinson's sexual battery and assault. It is a baseless and vindictive legal maneuver designed to re-victimize, shift blame and discourage others from coming forward," lawyers for the women accusing Robinson said in a statement to USA Today. The women accusing Robinson alleged in their suit that Robinson committed sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, and gender violence for years. On May 15, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced Robinson is under criminal investigation for sexual assault. Robinson has denied the allegations.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Associated Press moves to dismiss defamation claim from veteran who defeated CNN in court
The Associated Press filed a motion to dismiss U.S. Navy Veteran Zachary Young's defamation lawsuit on Monday, insisting the complaint is "without merit" and unjustly challenges the outlet's free speech rights. Young successfully sued CNN for defamation earlier this year after saying the network smeared him by implying he illegally profited when helping people flee Afghanistan on the "black market" during the Biden administration's military withdrawal from the country in 2021. When covering the trial in January, Associated Press media reporter David Bauder wrote that "Young's business helped smuggle people out of Afghanistan." Young's legal team has said that the Associated Press article "went even further than CNN's falsehoods," and updated the original complaint to include 40 AP articles that use the term "smuggling" to describe criminal conduct. The court previously ruled that Young did nothing illegal, and he is seeking nearly $500 million in a defamation suit against the AP. Navy Veteran Seeks Nearly $500 Million In Defamation Lawsuit Against Associated Press The AP believes Young's suit should be tossed. "It is premised on the facially implausible contention that The AP made the exact same accusation—that Young had engaged in criminal activities in connection with his Afghan evacuations—that the Article made clear a jury had rejected in the CNN case," AP's legal team wrote in the motion to dismiss. Read On The Fox News App "The AP now asks the Court to dismiss this lawsuit with prejudice under Florida's AntiSLAPP statute… which protect 'the rights of free speech in connection with public issues,'" the motion continued. "This is a classic SLAPP lawsuit – a 'lawsuit that lack[s] legal merit but threatens to chill speech by imposing crushing legal expenses.'" The AP believes its reporting is protected by Florida's fair report privilege, which its legal team wrote "safeguards the ability of the press to report about legal and other official proceedings." In addition, the AP's legal team wrote that the article "cannot be reasonably read as conveying anything defamatory" about Young or his company, Nemex Enterprises. Navy Veteran Who Proved Cnn Defamed Him Sues Associated Press, Says He Was Falsely Painted As 'Smuggler' Young's attorney, Daniel Lustig, said the motion to dismiss was expected, and he expects the Navy veteran to prevail. "AP's position is that words don't mean what they mean. That was CNN's defense. Zachary Young spent nearly three years fighting that fiction and after a court ruled in his favor and a jury affirmed it, the matter should have ended. But now he's back in the same courtroom, facing the same defense, advanced by the same lawyers, insisting once again that a plainly criminal accusation doesn't actually accuse him of a crime," Lustig told Fox News Digital. "If this feels familiar, it's because it is. The only thing that's changed is the logo on the letterhead. AP called Mr. Young a human smuggler, broadcast it around the world, and now claim they meant it in a nice way. When he asked them to correct a single word, they refused," he continued. Cnn Defamation Juror Would Have Awarded Navy Veteran 'Up To $100 Million' Before Settlement Was Reached The AP has referred to the lawsuit as "frivolous" in past statements to the press. The motion was filed with the 14th Judicial Circuit Court in Bay County, Florida, the same court where Young prevailed against CNN. Young is seeking at least $18 million in economic loss, $50-75 million in reputational harm, $5-10 million in emotional distress and $300-350 million in punitive damages, according to a Notice of article source: Associated Press moves to dismiss defamation claim from veteran who defeated CNN in court
