Pearce Robinson ordered to pay $250,000 in defamation case

Pearce Robinson ordered to pay $250,000 over defamatory Facebook video

United Kingdom-based digital journalist Pearce Robinson has been ordered to pay $250,000 in damages to Ministry of National Security employee Tonja-Melanie Mannette after the High Court upheld her defamation claim over a Facebook Live broadcast.

High Court Justice Westmin James delivered the ruling on Tuesday, awarding Mannette $200,000 in general damages and an additional $50,000 in aggravated damages.

The case stemmed from a 49-minute Facebook Live video posted by Robinson on March 14, 2024, in which he discussed an alleged plot involving employees of the Strategic Services Agency and members of the Jerusalem Bride Church.

Mannette was named once during the broadcast as Robinson listed people he said were employed by the SSA and connected to the church.

In assessing the broadcast, Justice James considered the video as a whole rather than only the portion in which Mannette was named. The court found that the overall context conveyed a defamatory meaning that could damage her integrity, trustworthiness and professional reputation.

Robinson sought to defend the claim on the basis of qualified privilege, saying his broadcast relied on reports surrounding a National Security Council-ordered shake-up and audit of the SSA, along with information he said came from confidential sources.

However, the court rejected the defence, finding that Robinson had not demonstrated responsible journalism before publishing the allegations. Among the issues identified was his failure to give Mannette an opportunity to respond before the broadcast.

Justice James awarded $200,000 in general damages for the impact on Mannette and to vindicate her reputation. A further $50,000 in aggravated damages was awarded, with the court considering Robinson’s failure to sufficiently verify the information, the length of time the publication remained available and the absence of an apology.

The court also issued an injunction preventing Robinson from republishing the defamatory allegations.

Justice James declined to order Robinson to issue a public apology or retraction, finding that the court’s declaration, damages award and injunction provided sufficient vindication.

Robinson was additionally ordered to pay $47,131.85 in legal costs.

The Facebook video was published during a period of heightened public attention surrounding the SSA after an audit of the agency’s operations was announced in 2024.