Lecturer’s claim against P.M. settled

Press, 2 August 1983, Page 2

Lecturer’s claim against P.M. settled

PA Wellington Settlement of a claim by a university lecturer against the Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, was announced in the High Court at Wellington yesterday. Mr Justice Ongley struck out the action by consent.

Mr lan Francis Shirley, a senior lecturer employed on social work at Massey University, and a member of the working party appointed by the National Research Advisory Council to advise on research on unemployment, had claimed $50,000 damages against Mr Muldoon for alleged defamation.

An agreed statement was read to the court by Mr A. A. T. Ellis, Q.C., who with Mr P. W. Ahern appeared for Mr Shirley.

“In a press interview given on July 6, 1981, Mr Muldoon referred to a confidential report of a working party of the National Research Advisory Council which had been discussed in Cabinet that day,” the statement said. “Mr Muldoon referred to Mr lan Shirley, the director

of the social works unit at Massey University, as a member of that working party and that the report had been leaked to the press. “Mr Muldoon accepts that his comments could be taken to be an allegation that Mr Shirley was responsible for such leaks. “Mr Muldoon unreservedly accepts that Mr Shirley was in no way responsible for leaking the report and regrets that his comments may have been so construed,” the statement concluded. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Counsel for Mr Muldoon, Mr J. D. Dalgety, said that there had been a news item

on television on Sunday evening which indicated that the case might have been settled by an apology. It was regrettable that Television One had seen fit to anticipate before the settlement by ascribing words not used by the parties.

Mr Dalgety said he would be lodging a complaint with the Broadcasting Corporation.