Irish News Appeals Libel Case.

Judges in Belfast were hearing the final day of evidence and submissions in the case between the Irish News and Goodfellas Restaurant today. The three Appeal Court judges, headed by Lord Chief Justice Kerr, have reserved judgement and will give their ruling in due course.

The Irish News is appealing a decision made in the High Court last year by a jury who found in favour of Mr Convoy, owner of the popular restaurant Goodfellas, and ordered the Irish News to pay damages of £25,000 for libel due to a defamatory critique of the restaurant which was published in the paper.

The Irish News have secured the services of Lord Lester QC ( a Liberal peer, last seen in Belfast representing the pro abortion case for the family planing association, fpa(NI) He is also a supporter of the FPA. He has also previously acted for The Sunday Times and the BBC.) Lester was keen to make the court aware that this judgement would have far reaching implications.

In other words, if the Irish News can’t publish something that will bring a mans business to its knees, then other media outlets might also be affected in that they will have to provide actual “evidence” of assertions made against otherwise innocent people.

Of course all the media have been interested in this case. No doubt they have decided there is an “appetite” for it (amongst themselves at least). And a public interest factor (amongst themselves again).

However, along with the jury I am of the opinion that unfair comment which leads to the loss of a mans livelihood should be accountable.

Lester suggested that if this case was not overturned their would exist a ludicrous situation where theatre critics could not rate a performance for fear of being sued. Au contraire dear Lester, it would be a ludicrous situation if the libel laws became so weak and the press so strong that anything consisting of only “opinion” could be said against a person, and this would be “fair”.

After all what other recourse does a person have against the press than the courts, where hopefully Mr Convoy will get a fair judgement swiftly.

Marie Stopes International Abortion Conference. Pro abortion advocates encouraged to rumage through judicial bins in desperate attempt to win cases!

Among many of the truly bizare statements made at the Global Conference hosted by Marie Stopes in London in October of this year was the chant that pro aborts need to “make abortion sexy”. This and the persistent march of the abortionists to “implement, implement , implement” (Prof Malcome Potts) showed the sick nature of the event.

Among the suggestions for the desperate crowd, who are feeling the pinch now that certain countries such as Ireland, El Salvador, Poland, Uraguay, Malta etc are refusing to back down to the blood bath, was the idea that abortion advocates should “Target the Judges with advocacy, learn their background, their persuasions, their behaviours”. (Monica Roa, Womens Linkk Worldwide, Columbia) This woman is excommunicated and has written a pro abortion prayer (to whom?).

How will these judicial private investigators work exactly, and what will the information be used for if the judges are not persuaded by their (obviously lacking) advocacy? Sometimes it is known as blackmail to work in this way, and there are fairly serious anti terrorism laws which disuade most people from obtaining the private information of judges etc. The international pro abortion movement must be sadly lacking in legal clout if suggestions like this are being put forward as legal know how. Roa helpfully adds “you don’t have to be a lawyer to work with the courts”.

There was a session called “Clandestine abortion providers” at which the speakers, for legal reasons, as they were criminals, were presented as anonymous. I think it was a fairly open secret who they were and what they said.

During the conference there was a repeated attack on the Catholic Church, alone of all religions (apart from one mention of Sharia Law which the abortionist say they will “not tolerate”.  This remark was made by Dr Wendy Savage, an ancient pro abortion doctor)

One thing which shone through was the fact that they were realing at the remarks made by Cardinal O’Brien in 2007. They had compiled a media analysis of how much coverage he got, which was apparently tonnes, a thing unheard of in abortion land.

Anne Freudi stated (ead of BPAS) on this point “we will have to work harder to quieten the Cardinal”. I wonder what she has in mind exactly……………