Michael Smith Village Magazine suing Varadkar

walterking

He claims he was defamed in this article

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/leo-varadkar-fine-gael-has-won-the-argument-on-tax-9qxv6tlb3

I'd make a comment,. but he'd probably try and claim it as defamatory, so I won't.

markodaly

Behind a paywall, what exactly did Leo say about him?

elperello

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/10/10/defamation-proceedings-issued-against-tanaiste-leo-varadkar/

LV "unequivocally" rejects..... unsurprisingly.

Another Lawyer sues Doctor story.

blanch152

Absolutely astonishing that a journalist would attempt to shut down other journalism, especially a journalist who claims to be in favour of free speech and open investigation.

This has all the hallmarks of SLAPPs and attempts to shut down debate.

political analyst

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119726731#Comment_119726731

Michael Smith is suing Varadkar, who never has been a journalist. There's no indication that Smith is suing The Sunday Times.

Senature

Seems like a personal vendetta now.

Can't accept that he didn't get the result he wanted from the complaint to AGS and publication of the 'Leo the leak' story.

Wouldn't the publication usually be the target of defamation proceedings instead of / as well as the person quoted?

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119726759#Comment_119726759

The effect is still the same. We have the MLMD SLAPPs case which is stopping RTE from broadcasting certain things, so afraid that they ran away from interviewing Shane Ross, we have this, are there other cases we don't know about?

Our libel laws need reforming, Varadkar's words were fair comment after what those two put him through.

awec

Michael Smith:

I have no party affiliation or bias

Lol.

Beasty

Before the courts

Closed