It is the first jury to assess damages under an "offer of amends" provision in the 2009 Defamation Act. As the parties were unable to reach an agreement on the level of damages, a jury was asked to do so. The case relates to an incident in April 2013 when Captn Higgins' newly acquired light aircraft had to make an emergency landing on rough ground near Swansea, Wales. Both aircraft landed safely but Captn Higgins' plane damaged the nose wheel when it hit a rock. Under an "offer of amends" provision, where there is no agreement on the offer, a jury is asked to decide what damages should be.

Source: Irish Examiner November 13, 2019 16:14 UTC