Journalist awarded damages in a case against former colleague who publicly slandered her reporting

Location: Ireland, Dublin
Date: July 3, 2024

Update, July 11, 2024

Women Press Freedom commends the Irish judicial system for upholding the integrity of journalism by awarding €35,000 in damages to award-winning journalist Kitty Holland in her defamation case against former colleague John Waters. He has also been ordered to pay all legal costs from the trial, estimated at over €150,000. Waters' defamatory comments attempted to delegitimize Holland’s important reporting on the death of Savita Halappanavar, a story that triggered a societal shift toward changing Ireland’s restrictive abortion laws and ultimately led to a referendum. The ruling sends a clear message that attacking a journalist’s credibility for political purposes is unacceptable. Holland is an esteemed journalist with a stellar career in investigative reporting that has had significant public impact. Waters’ attempt to discredit her work and reputation was utterly unjust. We commend Holland for taking this case to rectify the untruths and damaging comments made about her reporting by a public figure.

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On July 3, 2024, the Circuit Civil Court in Dublin ruled in favor of Kitty Holland, awarding her €35,000 in damages for defamation of character by John Waters, a known author and columnist.

Holland, a seasoned journalist with The Irish Times, had faced defamatory statements from Waters, which questioned her integrity and professionalism. The court found that Waters’s words had suggested that Holland was a journalist who was deceitful in her presentation of an important news story.

Waters made the comments during an address at a conference for political party Renua. Without naming Holland directly, Waters insinuated she fabricated her report on the tragic death of Savita Halappanavar. The speech was later published on Renua’s website.

In 2012, Savita Halappanavar died in hospital after she was denied an abortion despite a non-viable pregnancy. This tragedy, resulting from Ireland's strict abortion laws at the time, spurred a pro-abortion rights movement, leading to the legalization of abortion in a 2018 referendum.

Holland broke the story for The Irish Times, wrote a book about the tragedy, and won multiple awards for her impactful work. She stood by her reporting in court. The journalist explained how she conducted a thorough investigation of Halappanavar's tragic death that was published by The Irish Times after undergoing a rigorous three-day review process involving editors and lawyers.

Waters, a former colleague of Holland at The Irish Times, actively campaigned against changes to Ireland’s abortion laws and was described in court as a “strident pro-lifer.”  Judge John O’Connor noted that Waters made defamatory remarks to serve a political agenda. He described his comments as a serious and reckless attack on Holland's professional reputation.

Waters denied Holland’s claim that he had defamed her or called her a liar and said he had nothing to do with the political party publishing his speech on their website. In court, it was revealed that Waters had arranged for the removal of his speech from Renua’s website, though no formal apology or clarification followed. 

The judge acknowledged the substantial harm the remarks caused Holland while recognizing Waters’ partial corrective action. Taking this into consideration, Judge O’Connor decided to award €35,000 to Holland, half of the maximum possible compensation. The question of legal costs from proceedings has yet to be determined.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Holland has encountered attempts to disparage her work. In February 2023, Holland and photographer Dara Mac Dónaill witnessed a group of armed men entering a migrant camp in Dublin and reported the incident in The Irish Times. Following her report, Holland was accused by numerous Twitter users, particularly from far-right groups, of fabricating the story. She received abusive messages and threats, significantly affecting her well-being.

The court’s ruling in Kitty Holland’s case against John Waters shows the importance of protecting journalists from defamatory attacks that can undermine their credibility and professional standing. It shows the necessity for legal recourse to defend journalistic integrity against reckless and politically motivated defamation. Women Press Freedom stands in solidarity with Kitty Holland and applauds the court’s decision, which not only vindicates her reputation but also reinforces the integrity of her reporting.

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