The big chill: the silencing effect of Sinn Féin legal threats against politicians

10 comments
  1. They’ve nothing to worry about if speaking the truth. All parties issue letters to newspapers but they’ve never written about it until now.

  2. Does the fact that these cases seem to be resulting in awards for damages in favour of SF politicians not indicate that they are legitimate and lawful actions?

    The Troubles are over and the days of politicians and journalists in Dublin having carte blanche to say anything they want about Sinn Fein is over as well.

    They seem to be having trouble making that adjustment. If you say defamatory things or publish libelous things expect to receive legal letters seeking retraction of your statements, and informing you of legal action to redress the damage you are accused of causing.

    Has any analysis been done to show these are frivolous cases? Has any legal body raised the issue? I’m genuinely curious because all I see is people and institutions who were used to making defamatory/libelous statements against Sinn Fein whining that they are not able to do it consequence-free as the could in the 80’s 90’s and 00’s anymore.

  3. It’s shocking, sure I remember the time where Sinn Féin awarded itself the right to have direct editorial control of RTÉ News each evening and then sacked the entire RTÉ Authority for refusing to dismiss a journalist who said something they didn’t like, and then banned opposition politicians from appearing on television.

    Oh wait, that was Fianna Fáil.

  4. Its amazing how the establishment is trying to stop St Sinn Fein giving everyone free houses. The tankies are going to be so disappointed when those cunts get into power. Then we will have to listen them drone on as Irelands very own MIGA crew, after national bankruptcy, that they weren’t given “a real shot”.

  5. The next election is going to be wild. Our media isn’t yet on the same level of polarization that some other countries have but they’re going to have to pull out all the stops to slow SF’s momentum. Things are fairly tribal now but look across the ocean if you want to see what the endgame of that is.

  6. While I have no time for SF, the government has the power to change the defamation laws. The laws suited them for a while in stifling free speech, but are now being used against them. No sympathy here, change the laws.

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