View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
June 13, 2006updated 22 Nov 2022 7:46pm

Trade title pays £30k after libelling driving instructor

By Press Gazette

A trade paper for driving instructors has publicly apologised to
driving examiner it accused of "playing the system" by deliberately
failing candidates who should have passed their tests and paid him
£30,000 in libel damages.

Mr Justice Eady was told that the
examiner, Peter Murray, of Morden, Surrey, was put through a living
hell after a magazine article accused him of dishonesty and distorting
driving test pass rates.

He sued over the allegations made in the
April 2005 issue of MSA Newslink, an influential industry journal
circulated throughout the world of driving instruction.

Mr Murray
was dismissed as a driving examiner by the Driving Standards Agency
(DSA) in December 2003 over claims that he had not passed enough test
candidates.

The Civil Service Appeal Board later ruled the
dismissal was "unfair" and recommended he be reinstated. When that was
not done, Mr Murray took the DSA to an employment tribunal and the
proceedings were eventually settled with the assistance of ACAS.

More
than 5,000 copies were circulated to the nation's 219 driving test
centres and all members of the association, and Mr Murray was left
devastated.

 

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

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