Libel suit against Mr Amos settled

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34031, 20 December 1975, Page 16

Libel suit against Mr Amos settled

(Sew Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 19. Settlement of a libel claim by a former Director-General of Education. Arthur Newman Vickery Dobbs, against the former Minister of Education. Phillip Albert Amos, as first defendant, the Student Teachers’ Association of New Zealand, as second defendant, and Student Press, Ltd, as third defendant, was announced in the Supreme Court at Wellington today.

The action arose from remarks alleged to have been made by Mr Amos and published in the student magazine, ‘•Clamant I.” Agreed statements were 'read before Mr Justice i O'Regan, on behalf of the first, second, and third de- ■ fendants. : The first, on behalf of the first defendant, said: ! “In ‘Clamant I’ (Vol. 3, No. 1. April. 1975), a publication iof the Student Teachers’ Association of New Zealand, i there was published an article which was said to be 'made from notes of an informal meeting between the! Minister of Education (Mr Amos) and a number of student teachers in Christchurch on April 11 last. This publication has resulted in Mr Dobbs, the Director-General of Education at the time, bringing an action for defamation against Mr Amos, the Student Teachers’ Association .and the printers. “NEVER MADE” “Mr Amos wishes to say j that he is astounded that anyj thing which he said on the occasion could be connected with the action for defamation now being brought. He never made the statements in the article attributed to him which reflected on Mr Dobbs, his achievements in the position he has held, and the circumstances of his retirement. “Likewise, he never made the statements attributed to him in relation to the department’s attitude towards the appointment of women or to the department’s being prejudiced by conservative 1 views. “Mr Amos, as the Minister

at the time, wishes to confirm the unqualified tribute to Mr Dobbs’s services which he has already made in the House. The derogatory statements conveyed by the article are completely unwarranted, and he is glad to take the opportunity of saying so publicly. “The purpose of this statement is to deny categorically that the former Minister ever made statements derogatory of Mr Dobbs in terms of the article, and to confirm that the article must have caused Mr Dobbs considerable distress.” “UTTERLY INCORRECT" The statement by the second defendant said: “The Student Teachers’ Association deeply regrets being instrumental in publishing the statements in question. It accepts that the statements were utterly incorrect, and further accepts that they were not made by Mr Amos. “The article was not in-

tended to imply that these statements represented the view of the association—and they certainly do not do so. The second defendant offers its sincere apologies to the plaintiff for the distress and embarrassment he has suffered, and expresses its appreciation that the plaintiff has agreed to accept the statements which have been made in the Court today, together with payment of his costs by the second and third defendants, in settlement of; his action.” THIRD DEFENDANT The statement by the third defendant said: “The Standard Press, Ltd, has already printed and published an apology, and considers no further action is necessary.”