BBC will not appeal against Adams' defamation case victory
The BBC will not appeal over Gerry Adams' defamation victory against the organisation.Mr Adams, a former president of Sinn Féin, said there needed to be 'substantial reform' of the broadcaster.Mr Adams took the BBC to court over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme, and an accompanying online story, which he said defamed him.
Last month, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found in his favour and awarded him £84,000.
The BBC, which was found by the jury not to have acted in good faith nor in a fair and reasonable way, was also ordered to pay the former Sinn Féin leader's legal costs.After the decision, the broadcaster's legal team was granted a stay in the payment of the full award as it took time to consider an appeal.However, on Friday, the BBC confirmed it would not pursue an appeal.A spokesperson said: 'We have given careful consideration to the jury's decision.'We will not be appealing its verdict, bringing this matter to a conclusion.'We remain committed to public interest journalism and to serving all BBC audiences.'In a statement issued through the Sinn Féin press office on Friday, Mr Adams said: 'The decision not to appeal by the British Broadcasting Corporation has to be followed by a substantial reform of its internal journalistic processes and a recognition that it cannot continue to be a voice for the British state in Ireland.'It must also become more accountable to the public.'The Dublin Court found the BBC guilty of libel and rejected its claim that its journalism was fair and reasonable and in the public interest.'The British Broadcasting Corporation is a public service provider. There is an onus on the BBC to ensure that in the future its ethics and journalism reflect the principles and values of a public broadcast service.'As I have already said the damages will be donated to good causes.'
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