Quigley v Creation Ltd

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Judgment Date: 28 July 1971
• Date: 28 July 1971
• Docket Number: [1969. No. 3278 P.]
• Court: Supreme Court

(S.C.)

Quigley

and

Creation Ltd

Actor - Irish professional actor - Women's weekly magazine - Ordinary meaning of words - Whether published words capable of being defamatory - Function of jury.

The defendants were the publishers of a women's weekly magazine and the plaintiff was a well-known Irish actor who worked in Ireland and elsewhere. The defendants published in their magazine an article containing an account of an interview that was stated to have been given by the plaintiff to the writer of the article. The title of the article was "They've left this Isle" and the plaintiff's name appeared immediately below the title. No such interview had taken place. The plaintiff sued the defendants in the High Court and claimed damages for libel. At the trial of the action before a judge and jury, the plaintiff contended that the ordinary meaning of certain words in the article was that he did not work in Ireland and that he chose to work and live in London because the rewards and opportunities there were better than in Ireland. The jury found that the relevant words did have that meaning, that they were untrue, and that they tended to lower the plaintiff in the eyes of right-thinking persons The jury...