Court overturns libel award over restaurant review
Belfast High Court has ordered a retrial in the case of a newspaper's appeal against a £25,000 libel award over a restaurant review.
The award was made to the owner of a pizza restaurant in west Belfast after a jury found an Irish News food critic's review defamatory.
There has been worldwide interest in this case because of its potential to affect all reviews - dramatic, musical and culinary - in the future.
Until now, adverse reviews printed in newspapers or broadcast have been deemed fair comment and a defence against libel.
However, in January, a Belfast jury found in favour of a restaurant owner who claimed a review was defamatory, awarding him £25,000.
Today, the Court of Appeal directed a retrial as the jury had been misdirected on whether the opinions expressed in the review were justified and therefore defensible as fair comment.
