A libel suit filed by the secretary of the Hunters' Federation against Saviour Balzan and Kurt Sansone was dismissed today by the Magistrates' Court on the basis that the article complained of constituted fair comment.

Lino Farrugia in his writ for libel damages claimed that he had been libelled by an article written by Mr Sansone and published in Illum on January 21 2007. Mr Farrugia said the article reported what had happened at a meeting held in Brussels and included comments made by Mr Sansone which exposed him to the contempt of the federation's members.

The court ruled that it did not result that Mr Balzan was the newspaper's editor and absolved him of any liability.

With reference to the allegations made against Mr Sansone, the court noted that the article reported Mr Farrugia as saying in Brussels that hunters who shot at protected birds knew what they were doing. Mr Farrugia had confirmed to the court that he had said those things. However, Mr Farrugia objected to Mr Sansone's comments which put him in a bad light with other hunters.

Magistrate Mallia noted that Mr Sansone had said, in his article, that had Mr Farrugia made those comments in Malta, he would not have been applauded by the hunters. Mr Sansone, said the court, had every right to make this comment as it was based upon true facts which had been documented. The right to freedom of expression ought not to be affected by the negative consequences such comment might have on Mr Farrugia or the hunters.

The court found nothing to censure in Mr Sansone's article for the journalist had acted in good faith. The court was bound to protect the right to freedom of expression on facts which had occurred.

Magistrate Michael Mallia therefore dismissed Mr Farrugia's claim