View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Media Law
March 8, 2011

‘Substantial’ libel payout from NUJ to Suzanne Breen

By Dominic Ponsford

Investigative journalist Suzanne Breen has won libel damages from the National Union of Journalists over an article about her which appeared in union magazine – The Journalist.

Union member Breen was backed by the NUJ in a legal battle with the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2009 which had sought to force her to disclose information which could lead to exposing the identity of sources in the Real IRA terrorist group.

Breen had received the Real IRA’s claim of responsibility for shooting dead two soldiers at the gates of Massereene Army Base in Antrim. She also interviewed a member of the group.

She refused to hand over phone records and notes to police and in June 2009 a judge upheld her right to do so saying that to hand over the information would endanger her life.

Breen, who was Northern Ireland editor of the now closed Sunday Tribune newspaper, began defamation proceedings against the NUJ after union mag The Journalist published comments about her stance in the Real IRA sources case.

The case was due to go to trial at the High Court in Belfast but was settled at the eleventh hour.

The outcome is subject to a confidentiality agreement – but her lawyer Paul Tweed told the BBC that she had taken the case with “the greatest of reluctance”.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Speaking outside the cour yesterday he said: ‘Such was the gravity and outrageous nature of the offending allegations, which not only sought to undermine her professional integrity, but also could have prejudiced her personal security and that of her young family, that she was left with no choice but to issue these defamation proceedings.”

The agreement is understood to include a retraction, apology, substantial damages and payment of legal costs.

Tweed told the BBC: ‘My client believes that her actions will not only have totally vindicated her own reputation, but will also serve to protect other journalists from being put in a similar unsatisfactory position in the future, in circumstances where total impartiality and independence are of vital and fundamental importance to their professional standing.”

The NUJ said in a statement: “The National Union of Journalists has agreed to pay a substantial sum to Suzanne Breen in a confidential settlement of her libel action against the union. The action arose from publication of a letter from a member published in the September/October 2009 edition of The Journalist.

“The union had issued a retraction and public apology to Ms Breen in October 2009. “

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network