Griffith weighs options after losing FUL libel case

DESPITE his loss in the High Court on Monday, former police commissioner Gary Griffith says he took legal action against two journalists and a media house to show a series of articles on the issuance of firearm users' licences (FUL) was defamatory.

On Monday, although Justice Jacqueline Wilson held the articles – by investigative journalist Denyse Renne and Rickie Ramdass of the Trinidad Express – were defamatory, she held that they were covered by Reynolds privilege, a defence raised by the media house.

Wilson held that the articles, published by the Trinidad Express on October 25 and 26, 2020, were the product of responsible journalism.

In his lawsuit against the journalists and the media house, Griffith claimed they “intentionally or recklessly” brought his good name and the performance of the functions of his office as commissioner, as he was when the articles were published, into public scandal and disrepute.

The judge said while Griffith was entitled to have his reputation protected, it was in this context that the defence of Reynolds privilege struck the appropriate balance between freedom of expression, freedom of the press and the public-interest right to know.

She also said there was a sufficient public-interest element that firearm users' licences were issued to people of good character, and failure to do so posed a threat to public safety.

Wilson also said allowances must be made for editorial judgment.

In a statement on Tuesday, Griffith said he thought it was mandatory to show the allegations in the articles were “false and misleading as well as defamatory, and this was done.”

He said the newspaper and its journalists were unable to provide any shred of evidence of such accusation, “as they were all lies.”

“The court ruling confirmed that it was also indeed defamatory by nature, and even though the Express, when called upon in court, to show any shred of evidence to justify their false claims, were unable to do so, but nevertheless, the court also decided that this was seen as responsible journalism.”

Griffith said he will now weigh his options.