AG Ramogan suing Guardian

AG Anand Ramlogan

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan is suing the Guardian for defamation.

His attorney, Alan Newman, sent a pre-action protocol letter to the newspaper Friday, which Newsman said is in response to "a seemingly unrelentless spate of publications made by your newspaper in recent times by which my client (Anand Ramlogan has been vilified and in which his good name and character have been wrongfully and maliciously brought into public scandal, odium and disrepute."

Newman is complaining about an article that appeared in the Guardian on September11, 2012 with the headline: “QC on appeal over Ish and Steve’s extradition: AG ignored legal advice”.

The legal letter noted that the article "and the words contained therein are defamatory of my Client. When read and construed together with the headline partially entitled “AG ignored legal advice”, the words in their natural and ordinary meaning convey to the reader that the Honourable Attorney General chose to ignore the legal advice which he received from eminent Queen’s Counsel."

Newman said, "The fact that your reporter has chosen to omit" very significant and compelling aspects of the advice given to the AG "constitutes irresponsible journalism in its highest form and a clear derogation from her duty to report in a fair and impartial manner."

He added that the article was "falsely and maliciously published, with a view to boosting the circulation of your newspaper...(and) to damage and defame my client in his professional and political reputation. The words were libellous in that they were published in permanent form for the general readership of members of the public."

The lawyer served notice of Ramlogan's intention to institute High Court proceedings against the paper for damages including exemplary and/or aggravated damages for libel and costs. However, Ramlogan is offering the paper an alternative which is:

• An unqualified apology in terms to be agreed 
• An undertaking by you not to repeat the allegations complained of or any similar allegations 
• The payment of a sum in damages to demonstrate the baselessness of the allegations and to compensate our client for the injury to his reputation and distress that has been caused, and 
• Payment of Ramlogan's legal costs 

Newman has given the paper seven days to acknowledge receipt of the letter and 14 days to respond. He has requested disclosure of all materials, "including journalist notes and emails, relating to the contents of the offending article which was published" and that all this material "be kept safely".