Andrews wants libel proof to be burden of plaintiff

THE Fianna Fail spokesman on Tourism and Trade, Mr David Andrews, has called for a change in the libel laws, which he described as "a constant bugbear for journalists like Veronica Guerin and for the rest of the media".

According to a supplied script, he said that "many governments had promised to deliver on this score but have not", and called for a "shifting of the burden of proof to the plaintiff" in libel cases, as recommended by the Law Reform Commission in 1991.

He "firmly" believed that "a free and aggressive media can play a strong part in aiding the process of tackling crime", and that present laws "intimidate the media and compromise their reporting."

He told the Fianna Fail organisation in Cork South Central that Guerin's murder was "a warning shot to society, to others on the same path in the media, to politicians, to lawyers, to the judiciary and many other groups that exist in any democracy".

Meanwhile, gardai are examining motorcycle parts found in the River Liffey to see if they are from the bike used in the murder.

A Garda spokesman emphasised, however, that the parts may not have anything to do with the case.