FORMER IRISH PRESIDENTIAL candidate Seán Gallagher has issued legal proceedings against RTÉ over its controversial Frontline Presidential Debate on 24 October 2011.
In a statement today Gallagher’s solicitor said his client was left with “no alternative” but to seek the assistance of the court due to RTÉ’s “persistent refusal to offer any adequate or appropriate redress for what was the totally unacceptable conduct by them of the Frontline broadcast.”
He said that proceedings were issued on a number of grounds “including breach of their duty of care, negligence and breach of statutory duty”.
“My client will be seeking a declaration from the court that the RTÉ Frontline Presidential Debate broadcast on 24 October 2011 was unfair and seriously damaged his electoral prospects,” he said.
Tweed said the debate had “dramatic and extremely serious consequences” for Gallagher.
“Furthermore RTÉ had taken the extraordinary decision not to broadcast a corrective tweet received during the course of the debate from the Official Martin McGuinness Campaign Account, which would have set the record straight while the programme was still live on air” he said.
“The recently published report arising from the internal review regarding the offending broadcast, and the publication of provocative comments by the programme’s presenter, have compounded my client’s resolve to seek appropriate redress in the High Court,” Tweed added.
“Accordingly, these proceedings will be vigorously prosecuted in order to bring this matter to a conclusion, once and for all.”
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