By PETER GREEN
Pearce Robinson, who has been all over social media, criticizing somebody especially politicians, has been caught by defamation.
Robinson, a London-based digital journalist, has been ordered to pay over $250,000 in compensation to an employee of the Ministry of National Security, who he named as being part of an alleged plot to destabilize the country.
In a judgment handed down on Tuesday, Justice Westmin James ordered the compensation as he upheld Tonja-Melanie Mannette’s defamation case against Robinson.
Mannette’s case was based on a 49-minute live video posted by Robinson on his Facebook page on March 14, 2024.
In his post named, “The full threat against Trinidad and Tobago”, Robinson detailed an alleged “Christian Coup” involving staff of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA), who were also members of the Jerusalem Bride Church.
Mannette’s name was only mentioned once as Robinson included her in a list of persons who were employed by the SSA and connected to the church.
In his defence, Robinson sought to rely on the fact that Mannette was an executive aide at the SSA and a member of the church.
He claimed that his post was based on reading reports on a National Security Council (NSC) shake-up and audit of the SSA as well as information he allegedly received from confidential sources, which he declined to name.
Robinson also admitted that he was not aware of the legal concept of “Reynolds privilege,” which is used by journalists as a defence to defamation claims.
Justice James considered the structure of the broadcast instead of isolating the single occasion Mannette’s name was mentioned.
The judge said, “The Court does not accept the Defendant’s submission that the Claimant was placed in a neutral list of persons having two coincidental affiliations.”
Justice James found that the allegations were plainly intended to lower Mannette in the estimation of right-thinking members of society and to injure her professional reputation.
Justice James said, “An allegation that an officer within the national security apparatus is knowingly connected to a clandestine group which has infiltrated State institutions and is associated with surveillance, assassination and a silent coup strikes directly at her integrity, loyalty, trustworthiness and fitness to hold sensitive public employment.”
He rejected Robinson’s defence of qualified privilege as he ruled that Robinson did not practice responsible journalism before publication including failing to give Mannette an opportunity to respond to allegations.
Justice James considered the gravity of the allegations and the effect on Mannette.
However, he found that she failed to prove that she was diagnosed with a psychiatric condition and transferred from the SSA to the ministry based on it.
He also considered that Robinson removed the post after being threatened with the lawsuit.
Justice James awarded $200,000 in general damages to cover Mannette’s hurt feelings and to vindicate her reputation. He ordered $50,000 in aggravated damages based on Robinson’s failure to verify the information, the prolonged availability of the publication and the absence of an apology.
As part of his judgment, Justice James issued an injunction blocking Robinson from republishing the defamatory allegations. He declined to direct Robinson to issue a public apology and retraction.
Robinson was also ordered to pay $47,131.85 in legal costs.
