The jury in Gerry Adams’ libel case against the BBC has resumed deliberations. The former Sinn Féin leader is seeking over €200,000 (£168,000) in damages at the High Court in Dublin. The claim stems from a 2016 BBC NI Spotlight program and accompanying online article, which featured an anonymous source alleging Adams sanctioned the 2006 murder of British agent Denis Donaldson.
Adams, 76, vehemently denies any involvement. The BBC defends the report, citing fair and reasonable reporting on a matter of public interest.
After over six hours of deliberation, the initial 12-person jury was unable to reach a verdict. One juror has since been excused, leaving an 11-person jury (seven men, four women).
The four-week trial included testimony from ten witnesses, including Adams and BBC NI reporter Jennifer O’Leary. The case was brought in Dublin due to the program’s viewership in the Republic of Ireland (approximately 16,000 viewers) and the online article’s 700 hits there. Adams was a TD (member of the Irish parliament) at the time of broadcast.
Mr. Justice Alexander Owens completed his summation of witness testimony on Wednesday, suggesting the jury’s deliberations would be relatively brief, as the issues are straightforward. They must answer five key questions. The judge instructed the jury to consider Adams’ reputation in 2016 and currently, if awarding damages. Damages will only be considered if defamation is proven and the BBC’s “fair publication” defense is rejected.
A central theme of the trial involved Adams’ alleged past as an IRA leader, a claim he consistently denies. Donaldson, once a key Sinn Féin figure, was murdered in 2006 after his 20-year history as a police and MI5 informant within Sinn Féin was revealed. The Real IRA claimed responsibility in 2009, while BBC NI Spotlight, based on sources, attributed the killing to the Provisional IRA. Donaldson had been interned without trial in the 1970s, then, post-Good Friday Agreement, served as a key Sinn Féin administrator.
Adams served as Sinn Féin president from 1983 to 2018, holding various parliamentary positions in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. He led the Sinn Féin delegation in the Good Friday Agreement peace talks. He was also detained during internment without trial in the early 1970s. He maintains his innocence regarding IRA membership.