The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has ruled that there was no justification for the Court of Appeal to increase a $4.5M award made by a trial judge in a libel case won against Kaieteur News to $15M and has ordered that the original sum be paid over.
The ruling was made in an appeal and cross appeal involving Dr. Walter Ramsahoye and Kaieteur News publisher Glen Lall and the National Media and Publishing Company Limited.
Ramsahoye had filed a libel lawsuit in February, 2000, following publications in the Kaieteur News which he said caused damage to his reputation. An award of $4.5M was made in December, 2008, in his favour. Both Lall and Ramsahoye were dissatisfied with the judgment and filed appeals in the Court of Appeal.
