The good news: The Irish News, a Belfast paper, won its appeal of the the libel case filed by the owner of Goodfellas pizzeria over a bad restaurant review. The original verdict had The Irish News paying out 25,000 pounds, roughly $36,000 U.S.
The bad news: The Irish News has to pay all its court costs, according to the Court of Appeal.
Apparently the food is not the only thing that stinks.
Can you imagined being awoken at 6:40 a.m., handcuffed and strip searched twice in the same month because someone in the justice system wanted to talk to you about a libel case?
According to Washington Post writer Edward Cody, that is exactly what happened to a French editor of the Liberation daily in Paris. An investigating magistrate said she took the action because the journalist hadn’t responded when summoned.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to eliminate investigative magistrates because of abuses of power and a need for a greater presumption of innocence for the accused, Cody reports. While his idea apparently has a lot of support, my guess is the investigating magistrates will be buying a lot of Sarkozy voodoo dolls in the coming days.
Photo of Sarkozy voodoo doll by Associated Press
journajunkie 