Hunters' federation wins libel damages

The courts have upheld libel complaints made against journalists of Illum and The People.

The first case, confirmed on appeal, was filed by the hunters' federation against Illum journalist Julia Farrugia after the federation felt libelled by the heading of a report about a protest held by the hunters in Valletta on March 7, 2007.

The heading read: Uffiċjali Tal-FKNK Jheddu Lill-Membri Ta' L-Istampa (FKNK officials threaten members of the press). Ms Farrugia was ordered to pay €465.88 to the federation in damages.

In the second case against the now defunct newspaper The People, Lorenza Azzopardi won libel damages in a case filed against Alex Vella Gera, George Papagiorcopulo as publisher and Michael Falzon as editor.

Ms Azzopardi claimed that she had been libelled following the publication of an article entitled Let There Be Dust written by Mr Vella Gera in The People.

In her writ Ms Azzopardi told the court that the article had alleged that she suffered from mental illness though this was not the case.

The article gave details of a woman who suffered from mental disturbances and printed two photographs of Ms Azzopardi. It resulted that Mr Vella Gera had obtained the photographs from the newspaper's library and he had given instructions to blank out Ms Azzopardi's face but this had not been done.

The court said that although Mr Vella Gera had not intended to libel Ms Azzopardi, the ordinary reader would conclude that she suffered from mental illness.

The court dismissed the writ filed against Mr Falzon as it did not result that he was the newspaper's editor at the time of publication, and ordered Mr Vella Gera to pay Ms Azzopardi €1,048.22 in libel damages. Mr Papagiorcopulo was ordered to pay plaintiff €552.34.