March 09, 2020
Jones pays costs for failed defamation case
Property magnate Sir Robert Jones has been called out for claiming he could not talk about his reasons for discontinuing his defamation action against her because of a confidential agreement between the parties.
Sir Robert sued filmmaker Renae Maihi for organising a petition calling for him to be stripped of his knighthood because of his column calling for Waitangi Day to be renamed Maori gratitude day.
Ms Maihi says Sir Robert unilaterally abandoned his claim halfway through a ten-day trial and after two days of cross-examination in which he continued to express views about Māori that many New Zealanders would regard as racist and offensive.
By that stage, it was apparent to those who were watching the trial that his claim of defamation would fail.
She says by conceding, Sir Robert vindicated her right to start the petition and also became liable to pay her legal costs.
A confidential agreement on costs was reached last week and is the only agreement between them.
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