Defamation

Difas Munialo v Editor Sunday Vision Newspaper & Ors ((Civil Suit No.1257 of 1997)) [2004] UGHC 25 (10 September 2004);

Flynote: 

Search Summary: 

The plaintiff brought the suit against the defendants seeking damages for defamation. The plaintiff contended that in an article of the Sunday Vision, the publication stated that the plaintiff was a ghost headmaster i.e. he was drawing a salary when he ought not to have been doing so.  The defendants denied liability.  They contended that the words were not defamatory, and, in the alternative, that the publication was privileged, and a fair comment free of malice.

 

Headnote and Holding: 

Court considered whether the publication complained of was defamatory of the plaintiff.

It was stated that the plaintiff was unfairly labeled a ghost when he was merely a displaced serving headmaster, who was otherwise a high Caliber Education official.

 

Court held that the publication was defamatory, not privileged and that as a result the plaintiffs status in the eyes of right thinking members of society was greatly lowered.

Accordingly the plaintiff’s suit was upheld and awarded damages for defamation against the defendants
 

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