The Constitutional Court on Friday ruled that the Citizen newspaper did not defame Robert McBride for calling him a murderer after he was granted amnesty for the Magoos Bar bombing.
However, judges have ruled the paper did defame him by claiming he had not shown contrition for his actions.
McBride sued the paper after it said McBride was not fit to hold the post of Ekurhuleni metro police chief.
Judge Edwin Cameron said the Citizen won the main part of its case.
"The court finds that the Reconciliation Act does not render it untrue that Mr McBride committed murder and it does not prohibit frank public discussion of his act as murder, nor does it proscribe him being called a criminal," he said.
However, he said the newspaper must still pay McBride R50 000 because it cannot justify saying he has not shown contrition.
Cameron added that the court found the newspaper's coverage of McBride vengeful and distasteful.
http://news.iafrica.com/sa/720496.html
I hope the papers will take a lesson from this and get their act together.
However, judges have ruled the paper did defame him by claiming he had not shown contrition for his actions.
McBride sued the paper after it said McBride was not fit to hold the post of Ekurhuleni metro police chief.
Judge Edwin Cameron said the Citizen won the main part of its case.
"The court finds that the Reconciliation Act does not render it untrue that Mr McBride committed murder and it does not prohibit frank public discussion of his act as murder, nor does it proscribe him being called a criminal," he said.
However, he said the newspaper must still pay McBride R50 000 because it cannot justify saying he has not shown contrition.
Cameron added that the court found the newspaper's coverage of McBride vengeful and distasteful.
http://news.iafrica.com/sa/720496.html
I hope the papers will take a lesson from this and get their act together.
