Kean and the Irish Mail on Sunday

Complaint

Dr Gerald Kean complained that an article in the Irish Mail on Sunday on 6 July 2008, that drew a comparison between him and his partner and Neil and Christine Hamilton, was in breach of Principle 4 (Respect for Rights) and Principle 8 (Incitement to Hatred) of the Code of Practice, in that Neil Hamilton is a convicted perjurer. Dr. Kean said that the article, which appeared while he was abroad, had evoked several telephone calls from people who were disgusted by, and condemned, the article and what they saw as its implications. He emphasised his good standing in society, and that of his partner. The newspaper replied that the comparison was made solely in the context of the involvement of the complainant and his partner in a number of reality TV programmes and chat shows, and that this comparison did not suggest any wrongdoing on the part of either. It offered to publish a letter from the complainant outlining his concerns: this offer was not accepted.

Decision

It is the opinion of the Press Ombudsman that the article concerned, while evidently not intended to flatter, could not reasonably be interpreted as meaning that either the complainant or his partner were deserving of public opprobrium for the reasons stated by the complainant. In these circumstances, the offer by the newspaper to publish a letter by the complainant was a fair and reasonable response to this particular complaint. No further action is therefore required under the Code of Practice.

11 March 2009