Jock Anderson
Curious machinations tossed up in the Village Bicycle Internet defamation claim make it one of the funniest and strangest tales in recent recall.
Yet, if Dublin barrister Jayne Maguire wins her case, it could have chilling repercussions for Internet-ers, websiters and bloggers. (See earlier CaseLoad stories on www.caseload.co.nz for full details).
Miss Maguire told the Irish High Court in September her good name and reputation were sullied when a fellow lawyer referred to her lewdly on the Rate Your Solicitor website www.rateyoursolicitor.com as a “village bicycle.”
Rate Your Solicitor was set up in 2005 as a controversial offshoot of Ireland’s popular Victims of the Legal Profession Society and is hosted by a major Arizona-based internet service provider called Godaddy.com.
Miss Maguire has sued John Gill, one of the people behind Victims of the Legal Profession, who claims he has no control over the Rate Your Solicitor website.
The case has been in and out the Irish High Court a couple of times in the last month, the most recent on November 3, without a full hearing or resolution.
In his defence Mr Gill has filed seven affidavits, the latest of which begins:
“I, John Gill of Drumline, Newmarket-o-Fergus, County Clare, aged eighteen years and upwards make Oath and say as follows:
“I am the Defendant in this matter, I make this Affidavit from the facts within my own knowledge save where otherwise appearing and where so appearing I believe same to be true.
I say and believe that I arrived at the Four Courts at 9.45 AM by train from County Clare and when I arrived at the Round Room of The Four Courts a small group of my supporters (victims) told me that there was nothing listed for Jayne Maguire V John Gill. I said hold on and I will check. I went to the reception desk and asked for Jayne Maguire V John Gill and after a trawl through the computer list I was told there was nothing listed. I said but there has to be? It was called by the President of the High Court Justice Joseph Finnegan on the 19th of October 2006. The good lady said hold on and began looking through paper listings for the 3rd of November which was the day that Judge Finnegan told Counsel for Jayne Maguire that he would find a Judge to hear this case after judge Michael Hanna dismissed himself from hearing my case.”
Mr Gill’s affidavit goes on in similar vein and includes criticism of the court, judges, lawyers and media coverage of the case so far.
Much of Mr Gill’s concern is focused on his view that a giant legal conspiracy exists to rob him of his health, sanity and wealth.
Read John Gill’s seventh affidavit at: http://www.crookedlawyers.com/uploads/case19g.htm
Feedback on this story to jockanderson@xtra.co.nz
