Lester Bryant Bird Claimant v Winston Baldwin Spencer Crusader Publications and Broadcasting Ltd Defendants [ECSC]

• Jurisdiction: Antigua and Barbuda
• Judge: REMY J.
• Judgment Date: 21 February 2012
• Judgment citation (vLex): [2012] ECSC J0221-1
• Court: High Court (Antigua)
• Docket Number: CLAIM NO. ANUHCV 0185/2009
• Date: 21 February 2012

[2012] ECSC J0221-1

THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN SUPREME COURT

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

CLAIM NO. ANUHCV 0185/2009

Between:

Lester Bryant Bird

Claimant

and

Winston Baldwin Spencer Crusader Publications and Broadcasting Limited

Defendants

INTRODUCTION

REMY J.

1 This is an action for defamation.

2 The Claimant is an Attorney at Law and the former Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. He is also the Political Leader of the Opposition party the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ALP). The 1^st Defendant is the current Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and is the leader of the ruling United Progressive Party (UPP). The Second Defendant is a company which owns the Crusader Radio station over which the words complained of by the Claimant were carried live.

3 By Claim Form filed on the 2^nd April 2009 and Statement of Claim filed on the same date, the Claimant brought proceedings in respect of certain defamatory statements made by the First Defendant at a public rally on November 20^th, 2008 and broadcasted live on the Second Defendant's radio station on the said date.

4 The words complained of and alleged to have been spoken by the First Defendant are detailed in Paragraph 4 of the Statement of Claim and paragraph 2 of the Claimant's Witness Statement. The words are as follows:-

"…This is more than a Blue Wave this looks more like a Big Blue Tsunami of people, a Big Blue Tsunami of people who will keep this nation on track, a Big Blue Tsuname of people who will ensure that it is never again, never again for Lester Bird, Asot Michael, Gaston Browne and their gang."

"…We have liberated a nation from the clutches of a greedy dynasty, we have replaced decades of thiefdom and thiefdom with transparency, accountability and integrity…."

"…UPP troops are already battle ready so its only a matter of fine tuning the machinery and flushing out the large scale voter padding that is the ALP's election strategy…"

"…Will you allow that in this country will you allow them to come back to save their skins after their would have stole millions of millions of the people's money we can't afford that we will not allow that to happen…."

"…those Vagabonds are giving the impression that their hands are clean Lester Bird and Asot Michael and Gaston Browne, why then will you be challenging and putting this injunction and that injunction in the Courts, and trying to prevent us from getting into your bank accounts in Bermuda in the Isle of Man in Miami in New York in Switzerland. Why, why if you say that you haven't done anything wrong why are you preventing by placing all kinds of injunctions, trying to prevent the Courts from proceeding if you didn't do anything wrong. That is what is happening now a lot of injunctions, we have a lot of fights with them in the Courts all over the world when we try to get into their bank accounts when we try to unearth what was happening, and to find the money where it is? Because our aim is not only brothers and sisters for them to serve time but we want back the money and that is what we are seeking to do."

"…because I want to say to you we are not taking any chances with these vagabonds we are not taking any chances we go out there and fight fight in every corner in every nook and every cranny make sure that we look in the voters lists in the various constituencies and make sure we organize so that come election day we are properly mobilized because I know, I know brothers and sisters that we have the numbers the numbers are there."

5 The Claimant claims the following relief against the Defendants:-

• (i) Damages for defamation against the Claimant for words said on November 20,2008, including aggravated and exemplary damages.

• (ii) An injunction restraining the Defendants whether by themselves, their servants or agents or otherwise, from further publishing or causing to be published the said or similar defamatory words about the Claimant.

• (iii) Costs on the indemnity basis and/or wasted costs against the Defendant.

• (iv) Interest pursuant to section 27 Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Act, Cap 143 of the Laws of Antigua and Barbuda.

• (v) Such further and other relief as this Honourable Court deems fit.

6 By their Defence filed on the 15th day of May 2009, the Defendants do not deny that the words were published, but deny that the words were published falsely and maliciously. They further deny that the words bore or were capable of bearing the meaning ascribed to them by the Claimant. The Defendants plead in the alternative, that the words were published on an occasion of extended qualified privilege in that "the statements were made by the First Defendant pursuant to a legal, social or moral duty to do so." The Defendants further contend that insofar as the words complained of have the meanings alleged by the Claimant, the words were "fair comment upon a matter of public interest, namely the conduct of the Claimant as when he was a Minister of Government between 1976 and 2004."

7 In addition, the Second Defendant admits that the words complained of were contained in a broadcast referred to but denies that it was responsible for the publication of the words complained of in that:-

• a) "it was not the author, editor or publisher of the statement complained of;

• b) it took reasonable care in relation to its publication;

• c) it did not know, and had no reason to believe what they did caused or contributed to the publication of a defamatory statement."

ISSUES

8 The issues that arise for the Court's determination are:-

• 1 ) Whether the words complained of are capable of being defamatory;

• 2) Whether the words were defamatory in the circumstances;

• 3) Whether the words were defamatory of the Claimant?

• 4) Whether or not the Defences of Fair Comment, Qualified Privilege, Constitutional Privilege, Justification, Innocent Dissemination are available to the Defendants?

• 5) What damages, if any, should be awarded to the Claimant?

EVIDENCE

9 The Claimant gave evidence on his own behalf and called no witnesses. The First Defendant gave no evidence but one witness was called on his behalf, namely the Attorney General of Antigua and Barbuda, Mr. Justin Simon (Mr. Simon). Mr. David George gave evidence on behalf of the Second Defendant. The evidence from the witnesses was by way of Witness Statements and cross-examination at the trial.

10 In his Witness Statement, the Claimant stated that on the 20^th November, 2008, he heard a radio broadcast on Crusader Radio which is owned and operated by the Second Defendant, in which the First Defendant at a public political rally "published and caused to be republished" statements about him stating that he had stolen millions of dollars from the people of Antigua and Barbuda, committed electoral fraud, and tried to cover up the theft of the money by filing several injunctions in the Courts. The Claimant stated that the broadcast by the First Defendant "was quite lengthy" but that he recalled during the course of the broadcast, the First Defendant published the words complained of in Paragraph 4 of the Statement of Claim.

11 The Claimant stated that he felt "horrified and aggrieved" when he heard these statements. He stated that all the allegations made by the First Defendant are untrue. He stated that, in relation to the publication by the Second Defendant, "he was not at all surprised that they participated and republished the offending words." He stated that the First Defendant and "several other high ranking members" of the United Peoples Party (UPP) are shareholders in the Second Defendant and "have a vested political and other interest" in destroying his good name and reputation. Further, that he has suffered injury to his good name and reputation and has endured odium and contempt from the Antiguan population regionally and internationally as a result of the reckless publication; and that, as a result, he claims compensation.

12 Under a lengthy and rigourous cross-examination by Learned Counsel Mr. Sanjeev Datadin that spanned two days, the Claimant testified that he heard the words complained of "in person". He testified that the words were uttered at a UPP political rally called the Blue Wave. He testified that he was present at that rally and was at the back of the crowd but that he could hear because "the speakers were loud enough." He stated that he "pretty much" heard the entire First Defendant's speech, but that after he heard the words complained of, he "was so angry that he soon left." The Claimant stated that he heard the words uttered by the First Defendant sometime between 9. 30 and 10.30 p.m, and that he left the rally before it was totally completed; he left after he heard the allegations of the First Defendant. He said that there was amplification via loudspeaker, so that the crowd could hear. He testified that as far as he could recall, the words stated in his Witness Statement were the exact words that he heard.

13 The Claimant further testified that he was not paying any attention to any other speaker except the Prime Minister (the First Defendant). He re-iterated that he heard the words live and also heard them at the same time on the radio. He stated that what he meant bysaying that the statements were re-published is that "they were being broadcast live when the speech was being made by the First Defendant." He admitted that other than on the 20^th November 2008, that he did not ever hear these statements again. The Claimant also testified that he understood the word "gang" to mean a criminal gang and understood "a greedy dynasty" to mean the ALP Government, since they had been in office for 28 years. He added that he understood "those vagabonds" to mean Lester Bird, Asot Michael and Gaston Browne.

14 Mr. Simon's evidence in chief was by way of Witness Statement to which was attached a Press Statement dated the 1^st March 2006. Mr. Simon's...