Supreme Court Libel action settled

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33791, 13 March 1975, Page 14

Supreme Court Libel action settled

A $lO,OOO claim for alleged libel had been settled out of Court, Mr J. F. Burn told Mr Justice Macarthur in the Supreme Court yesterday.

I Mr Burn appeared tor John Frederick Brockhurst, a ‘cost controller of Allandale, (who claimed the damages ‘from Edward R. Radcliffe, a

I company manager,, of Governor’s Bay. When' the alleged libel was committed Mr Radcliffe was chairman of the Mount Herbert County Council. “I am pleased to say that the parties have reached an agreement between themselves and it will not be necessary for the Court to hear the matter,” Mr Burn said.

Mr Burn read the following statement to the Court: “Mr Radcliffe acknowledges that in saying that Mr Brockhurst was not known for the accuracy of his statements, as he did in the meeting of the Mount Herbert County Council on August 23, 1974, he did not mean that Mr Brockhurst was untruthful, nor that he was frequently inaccurate in what he said. i “Mr Brockhurst acknowj ledges that Mr Radcliffe was I referring only to some j specific inaccuracies on town ; planning matters and that > there was no reflection on I his character intended. I “In these circumstances the parties are agreed that I the action should be discontinued and an agreed Isum has been paid to Mr I Brockhurst by way of costs,” the statement concluded. Mr D. H. P. Dawson, for Mr Radcliffe, said that he confirmed the terms of the agreed settlement. His Honour said that in view of the statement by counsel the Court was pleased that the parties had been able to resolve their differences. The settlement that had been arrived at did i not call for any formal order ! of the Court.