Orde settles lawsuit on ‘IRA fight’ references
Irish News
30/01/09
SIR Hugh Orde has settled a libel action brought over newspaper references to his supposed length of time fighting the IRA.
Independent News and Media (NI) issued an apology to the chief constable as part of the resolution announced in the High Court.
The publishers have also agreed to make a donation to a charity of Sir Hugh’s choice, lawyers confirmed.
The police chief had sued over a Belfast Telegraph column which appeared last June under the headline ‘Why such a Hugh and cry over al-Qaida?’
Reading an agreed statement to the court, David Ringland QC, for Sir Hugh said: “The article contained the words … ‘says this supposed veteran of 30 years of tackling the IRA…’.”
“The defendant unreservedly acknowledges that Sir Hugh Orde has not stated or suggested that he was a veteran of 30 years of tackling the IRA.”
Following the outcome the chief constable’s lawyer, David Craig of Johnsons Solicitors, said: “My client is very pleased to have received this full and categoric retraction and apology from the Belfast Telegraph, together with the payment to charity and settlement of legal costs.
“However, he remains very disappointed that he was so blatantly misquoted in such a manner in the first place.”
'So venceremos, beidh bua againn eigin lá eigin. Sealadaigh abú.'
--Bobby Sands