Ireland:'sex scandal' libel case causes chilling effect
by Emil Weber
The decision by the Irish courts to issue the highest-ever defamation award against a major newspaper publisher was disproportionate and amounted to chilling effect on the press, a recent judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) said.
kieranlynam, Four Courts, Dublin, Ireland, CC BY 2.0
The Evening Herald, which later changed its name to Herald, in 2004 serialised a story running through nine editions regarding a public relations consultant hired by the government. According to the series, the consultant was a supporter, came from the same city, and was acquainted with a major politician. She was hired…