Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams wins his libel case against the BBC and is awarded €100,000 (£84,000) in damages
Adams sued the BBC after a 2016 programme and online report, in which an anonymous source alleged he sanctioned the murder of a British agent, Denis Donaldson
The BBC argued the words were couched as allegations – but Adams argued they were presented as fact
Speaking outside court, Adams says the case could have been resolved a long time ago, adding he was "very mindful" of the Donaldson family throughout the trial
Meanwhile, the BBC says it's "disappointed", with its Northern Ireland director saying: "It was important that we defend our journalism, and we stand by that decision"
Gerry Adams was the president of Irish republican party Sinn Féin from 1983 until 2018 - he has consistently denied being a member of the IRA
Watch: Adams speaks outside court after being awarded €100,000 in damages
Smyth says it was accepted by the court and conceded by Gerry Adams’ legal team that the BBC News NI Spotlight broadcast and publication was of "highest public interest".
Image source, PA MediaWe're just hearing now from director of BBC Northern Ireland, Adam Smyth.
He says: "We are disappointed by this verdict.
"We believe we supplied extensive evidence to the court of the careful editorial processes and journalistic diligence applied to this programme and the accompanying online article."
Adams takes a question from the BBC on what this outcome means for his reputation.
The former Sinn Féin president says: "I have always been satisfied with my reputation; we all have flaws in our character, but the jury made the decision, and let's accept the outcome and let's accept what the jury said."
Adams says he is "mindful of an unrelated case", when he won his appeal to have two convictions for attempting to escape from prison in the 1970s overturned.
This happened after the Supreme Court ruled Adams' detention at the Maze Prison was unlawful.
In 2023, the UK High Court ruled that Adams was wrongly denied compensation after his convictions were quashed.
Today, he accused the prime minister of "refusing to pay compensation" to 300-400 other former detainees that are "now quite elderly".
"I'm very mindful that this case could have been settled," says Adams.
"The licence payers are going to pay for this. The BBC aren't using their own money, Spotlight aren't using their own money.
"It's the licence payers, and as Paul Tweed has said, this could have been sorted out a long time ago."
Adams tells the press that, from his perspective, it was about putting manners on the BBC.
"The BBC upholds the ethos of the British state in Ireland, in my view it's out of sync on many, many fronts with the Good Friday Agreement."
Adams says he is "very mindful of the Donaldson family in the course of this long trial" and "indeed of the victims’ families" who have had to watch all of this.
"I want to say that the justice minister should meet the family of Denis Donaldson as quickly as possible, and there is an onus on both governments, and everyone else and I include myself in this, to try and deal with these legacy issues."
Adams first addressed the waiting press in Irish to thank his family and his legal team.
In his statement Paul Tweed poses the question of whether or not the BBC faced pressure in making the allegations.
Outside Dublin's High Court he said: "It begs the question whether there has been any political or outside pressure on the BBC to take the stand they have taken."
Tweed continued: "The fact that the false allegation has been left online for nine years has in my opinion done much to undermine the high standards of accuracy that is expected at the BBC."
Paul Tweed continues by saying: "Our client is very pleased with this resounding verdict and award of damages which speaks for itself."
The jury "came to the conclusion that the subject matter of the Spotlight programme was highly defamatory", he adds.
Adams' solicitor, Paul Tweed, is speaking outside the court in Dublin and calls the allegation against his client "totally untrue and defamatory".
"The BBC Spotlight team should not have included it in their broadcast."
In the next few minutes, Gerry Adams is expected to speak to the press outside the court in Dublin following the verdict of his libel case against the BBC.
The Director of BBC Northern Ireland, Adam Smyth, is also expected to comment.
Click Watch Live at the top of this page to follow along.
Gerry Adams sued the BBC over a 2016 BBC Spotlight NI programme and an online article in which an anonymous source alleged he sanctioned the murder of a British agent, Denis Donaldson.
Donaldson was once a key figure in Sinn Féin's rise as a political force in Northern Ireland.
But he was found murdered in 2006 after it emerged he had worked for the police and MI5 inside Sinn Féin for 20 years.
Adams denied the allegation and claimed he was defamed by the coverage.
Today he won the libel case and is awarded €100,000 (£84,000) in damages.
In fighting the case, the BBC used a defence of fair and reasonable publication in the public interest.
The organisation has argued the words were couched as allegations and said it was supported by five other sources.
Adams has been awarded €100,000 (£84,000) in damages as a result of the libel case.
Gerry Adams has won a libel case against the BBC over a Spotlight NI documentary and an accompanying online article, in which an anonymous source alleged he sanctioned the 2006 murder of British agent Dennis Donaldson.
Image source, PA MediaGerry Adams is one of the most recognisable and controversial figures in Irish politics.
From his early days as a political activist to becoming the most senior leader in the republican movement he has had a varied career.
Throughout this time there has always been suggestions that Gerry Adams had been a senior IRA leader, he has always denied this.
The IRA is a paramilitary group that is believed to be responsible for about 1,700 deaths during more than 30 years of violence, mostly in Northern Ireland, that became known as the Troubles.
Image source, PacemakerWhile not disassociating himself from the IRA, Adams has always denied membership
Adams went on to forge a political career, he got elected as the MP for Belfast West but never took up the seat in Westminster.
He was also elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Dáil (Irish parliament) and was the president of Sinn Féin for 34 years.
He played a key role in leading republicans away from an armed campaign towards democratic republicanism during the Good Friday Agreement negotiations.
To some he is hailed as a peacemaker, for leading the republican movement away from its long, violent campaign towards peaceful and democratic means.
To others, he is a hate figure who publicly justified violence carried out by the IRA.
Though Adams has consistently denied membership of the IRA, he has said he will never "disassociate" himself from the organisation.
Rebekah Logan
BBC News NI
The jury are expected back shortly in Gerry Adams' libel case against the BBC.
While the jury's verdict has been five weeks in the making, the trial itself has taken nine years to reach this point.
Adams is suing the broadcaster over claims made in a BBC Spotlight NI programme and an accompanying online article in 2016.
This coverage contained an anonymous source alleging Adams sanctioned the murder of British agent Denis Donaldson, an allegation he denies.
The BBC has argued a defence of fair and reasonable reporting on a matter of public interest.
The 11-person jury now has up to five questions to answer.
They were sent to consider their verdict shortly before 10.30 am on Thursday morning.
We'll let you know when they return and will be keeping you updated with events happening both inside and outside the court over the next few hours.
