The BBC is under fire for failing to pay court-ordered damages to former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, more than two months after losing a major defamation case in Dublin’s High Court. In May, a jury found the broadcaster had defamed Mr Adams in a 2016 episode of its Spotlight investigative programme, as well as in a related online article. The coverage included claims that Mr Adams had approved the killing of former senior Sinn Fein official and British agent Denis Donaldson.
Mr Adams has always denied any involvement in the murder. Mr Donaldson, once a prominent figure within Sinn Fein, was exposed as a British informant in 2005 and subsequently expelled from the party. He was shot dead at a remote cottage in County Donegal in 2006. The killing was widely believed to have been carried out by dissident republicans, but no one has ever been convicted.
Mr Adams brought the libel case on the grounds that the programme and article wrongly implied that he had sanctioned Mr Donaldson’s assassination. The jury agreed, awarding €100,000 (£84,000) in damages and concluding that the BBC had not acted in good faith, nor in a fair and reasonable manner in the production of the material.
The High Court also ordered the BBC to pay the former Sinn Féin leader’s legal costs, which amounted to approximately €250,000 (£210,000).
After the verdict, the broadcaster’s legal team was granted a temporary stay on the full payment while it considered whether to launch an appeal. During that period, it was required to pay half of the damages—€50,000—and the legal costs. In June, the BBC confirmed it would not proceed with an appeal.
However, it is understood that as of August 1, the full damages had still not been paid. The delay has drawn sharp criticism from those close to Mr Adams, who regard it as a failure to comply promptly with the court’s decision.
A source close to Mr Adams told the PA news agency: “The delay by the BBC is deplorable and it should move speedily towards discharging the order of the court.”
Mr Adams has said he intends to donate any money received from the case to charitable causes. These include organisations supporting children in Gaza, Irish language initiatives, and services for homeless people.
The BBC has declined to explain the continued delay in payment. A spokesperson for the broadcaster said only: “Total costs will be finalised and payable in due course.”
Adam Smyth, Director of BBC Northern Ireland, had previously expressed disappointment at the jury’s verdict. He said the corporation believed it had provided extensive evidence of editorial care and journalistic diligence in the making of the Spotlight programme and the associated online content.
The case has reignited long-standing tensions over how legacy issues from the Northern Ireland conflict are reported and handled in the media.