Win for Prime Minister on Defamation Case
Thu,05 Sep 2024 09:13:00
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DR ROODAL MOONILAL THE MP FOR OROPOUCHE EAST AFTER LOSING A DEFAMATION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE PM DR ROWLEY CLAIMS THE FIGHT ISN’T OVER AFTER HIGH COURT JUSTICE CAROL GOBIN GAVE HER JUDGMENT AND DISMISSED THE CASE WITH COSTS.
MOONILAL SUED ROWLEY, ARGUING THOSE QUOTES WERE DEFAMATORY.
DR ROWLEY AND HIS ATTORNEYS, HOWEVER, ARGUED THAT THE STATEMENTS WERE NOT MADE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT MOONILAL. THEY ALSO SAID THE STATEMENTS COULD NOT REASONABLY BE UNDERSTOOD AS DEFAMATORY, ESPECIALLY WHEN READ INDIVIDUALLY OR EVEN AS A COMBINED TEXT.
ATTORNEYS ALSO ARGUED THE STATEMENTS WERE PART OF A PRIVATE CONVERSATION AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS FORMAL ACCUSATIONS.
THE JUDGMENT SAID THE DEFENDANTS RELIED ON THE AVAILABLE DEFENCES, INCLUDING THAT MOONILAL FAILED TO ESTABLISH THE DEFAMATORY STATEMENTS THAT WERE SPOKEN OF AND CONCERNING HIM AND ALSO THE WORDS COMPLAINED OF WERE INCAPABLE OF BEING UNDERSTOOD IN THE MANNER CONTENDED BY HIM.
AMONG OTHER REASONS FOR THE DECISION, GOBIN SAID THAT IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO'S POLITICAL SPACE, ROBUST, COLOURFUL AND EVEN VULGAR LANGUAGE WAS COMMON AND "THROWING BARBS" OR PICONG HAPPENED ALL THE TIME.
SHE ADDED, "THESE STATEMENTS, SOMETIMES, GO BEYOND 'THROWING BARBS' AND INTO MORE SIGNIFICANT GENERAL STATEMENTS ALLEGING CORRUPTION BY SUPPORTERS OF THE OTHER SIDE.
SHE SAID TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WAS A SOCIETY THAT RECOGNIZED FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION AS A CORE RIGHT, ESPECIALLY IN THE POLITICAL SPHERE.
MOONILAL SUED ROWLEY, ARGUING THOSE QUOTES WERE DEFAMATORY.
DR ROWLEY AND HIS ATTORNEYS, HOWEVER, ARGUED THAT THE STATEMENTS WERE NOT MADE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT MOONILAL. THEY ALSO SAID THE STATEMENTS COULD NOT REASONABLY BE UNDERSTOOD AS DEFAMATORY, ESPECIALLY WHEN READ INDIVIDUALLY OR EVEN AS A COMBINED TEXT.
ATTORNEYS ALSO ARGUED THE STATEMENTS WERE PART OF A PRIVATE CONVERSATION AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS FORMAL ACCUSATIONS.
THE JUDGMENT SAID THE DEFENDANTS RELIED ON THE AVAILABLE DEFENCES, INCLUDING THAT MOONILAL FAILED TO ESTABLISH THE DEFAMATORY STATEMENTS THAT WERE SPOKEN OF AND CONCERNING HIM AND ALSO THE WORDS COMPLAINED OF WERE INCAPABLE OF BEING UNDERSTOOD IN THE MANNER CONTENDED BY HIM.
AMONG OTHER REASONS FOR THE DECISION, GOBIN SAID THAT IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO'S POLITICAL SPACE, ROBUST, COLOURFUL AND EVEN VULGAR LANGUAGE WAS COMMON AND "THROWING BARBS" OR PICONG HAPPENED ALL THE TIME.
SHE ADDED, "THESE STATEMENTS, SOMETIMES, GO BEYOND 'THROWING BARBS' AND INTO MORE SIGNIFICANT GENERAL STATEMENTS ALLEGING CORRUPTION BY SUPPORTERS OF THE OTHER SIDE.
SHE SAID TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WAS A SOCIETY THAT RECOGNIZED FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION AS A CORE RIGHT, ESPECIALLY IN THE POLITICAL SPHERE.