John Waters ruling highlights our wretched libel laws

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday April 24, 2002 13:54 by Eoin Maher eoin_maher at hotmail dot com

A comment

Why John Waters should have laughed at the "Journalist" Terry Keane instead of running to the lawyers.

Irish Times columnist, John Waters was yesterday rewarded 84,000 euro in damages in his libel action against Terry Keane and the Sunday Times.

Mr.Waters was taking the action because he believed Ms.Keanes article "allow me the last word on John Waters' world" portrayed him as a bad father and called his journalistic ability into question. The Young jury agreed with the plaintiff.

Ms.Keanes article in her Sunday Times gossip column followed a speech by Mr.Waters following a modern reproduction of the Greek play Amadeus, in which he discussed the issue of female violence. The details of the case are such that it would be very hard to delve into all the details at present. Listeners of "The Last Word" will be familiar with the case, as will readers of the irish times.

Although i am a fan of John Waters, and his brand of journalism, an admirer of his advocating of the rights of fathers in relation to child custody, i find it ridiculous that such a reputable journalist would take such an action.

Not that the thought of having the Sunday Times and that vilainous, useless "Journalist" Terry Keane pay him 84,000 euro is not a dream come true for me,; its quite clear as a speaker said on this mornings "Morning Ireland" programme that "Terry Keane was John Waters best witness". By admitting she has had articles written in her name that she never even read never mind wrote.

Libel that most strange of crimes is basically - in this country anyway - basically the crime of expressing an opinion which is not true. Isnt most opinion fact furnished with bias? John Waters' personal profile would have been better served by critcising Terry Keane and rubbishing everything she wrote.

That is of course if she wrote it.

Yours,

Eoin Maher