FORMER Bishops’ High School teacher, Coen Jackson, was, on Friday, awarded $6M in damages and costs, after he won his defamation case against former Cultural Policy Advisor, Ruel Johnson.

The damages in the claim filed by Jackson in 2019, through his attorneys, Nigel Hughes and Savannah Barnwell, were awarded by Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court.

Jackson claimed damages against Johnson for defamation as a result of several statements that he published about him on Facebook. Jackson had asserted that the accusations were false and derogatory.

According to Jackson, “the statements have irrevocably damaged his reputation and has subjected him to public ridicule, contempt, hatred and embarrassment.”

However,  Johnson used the defence of “justification and fair comment” for his actions.

Justice Singh, having examined the evidence, found that Johnson clearly attacked Jackson’s character, by claiming that he“actively pursued children” to satisfy sexual desires, without setting out, factually, any conduct of the former teacher that justifies such a comment.

Also, the judge ruled that the defence of fair comment and justification used by Johnson was not available in this case.

“It is not at all necessary to embark upon an analysis of the evidence to determine if this defence was established. The defendant [Johnson] failed to produce one iota of evidence to support either that the claimant [Jackson] is a pedophile or that he was dismissed from his job, for any reason, or at all,” the judge said in his ruling.

He added: “On the evidence, the word used to describe the claimant and the assertion that he was dismissed could not possibly be considered to be justified. The word and statements are therefore defamatory of the claimant and would tend to lower his standing in society in the estimation of right-thinking members of society.”

In the circumstances, the court found that the word and statements published by Johnson are clearly defamatory to Jackson.

In assessing the appropriate quantum of damages in the case, the court took into consideration the libel attack on the claimant’s personal integrity and his  professional reputation.

The court also considered the nature of the libel which was bound to cause distress, hurt and humiliation to Jackson, and also the need to re-establish and vindicate his reputation.

The judge also highlighted that the defamatory material was published on the world wide web and was available for public consumption for eternity.

Taking all of the foregoing matters into account, the judge awarded damages in the sum of $5M, which includes an interest on the said award at the rate of six per cent per annum from March 5, 2019 to November 19, 2021 and four per cent per annum thereafter until fully paid.

He also awarded the sum of $1M as costs, which is to be paid on or before January 7, 2022.

In 2018, Jackson was charged and later committed to stand trial at Demerara High Court for engaging in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 while being in a position of trust. He is currently out on $300,000 bail as he awaits the commencement of his trial.

Johnson is expected to be a prosecution witness in that matter.