Just in case anyone is unaware of what transpired yesterday in London at the Court of Appeal, I was refused permission on all further grounds of appeal. I was present along with my husband and of course my legal team. The legal team representing Mr James and the council also took part.
Aside from the one ground relating to Mr James' counterclaim, which remains ongoing, there is the matter of the costs and damages which have to be resolved. This currently stands at approximately £190,000 for the claim, £41,000 for the counterclaim and £25,000 damages.
I will now have to live with the trial judgement and deal with the consequences, financial and otherwise but I will never accept nor agree with the findings. Yesterday's hearing was yet another devastating blow.
My purpose and motivation for writing this blog has always been, and always will be a means to scrutinise the local authority and to share issues which I feel are important and which would otherwise perhaps remain unreported.
I have always acted with good faith and personal integrity and written this blog with the honest belief and opinion that everything I have said is true to my best knowledge. I have not made unwarranted personal attacks on individuals; my intention has been to highlight failings within a public body where I believe it is necessary and to try and bring some transparency and accountability to my local council for the benefit of residents and taxpayers.
As for the litigation itself, as I have said, some issues are yet to be resolved so it would be inappropriate to comment yet.
My heartfelt thanks, as ever, goes to my legal team, and of course to my family and friends, well wishers and supporters.
The future of the blog? Business as usual.
Mrs Angry, author of the Broken Barnet blog has written about yesterday's events and the wider picture; she needs no introduction, please go and have a read;
Daft arrest: the last word? Caebrwyn returns to the High Court
Both the South Wales Guardian and the Carmarthen Journal have reported on the outcome. The latter includes a statement from Carmarthenshire Council and I would like to point out that the last paragraph of the statement is, I believe, potentially misleading as it does not take into account the possible outcome of a successful appeal had the specific grounds been accepted at the permission hearing.
Aside from the one ground relating to Mr James' counterclaim, which remains ongoing, there is the matter of the costs and damages which have to be resolved. This currently stands at approximately £190,000 for the claim, £41,000 for the counterclaim and £25,000 damages.
I will now have to live with the trial judgement and deal with the consequences, financial and otherwise but I will never accept nor agree with the findings. Yesterday's hearing was yet another devastating blow.
My purpose and motivation for writing this blog has always been, and always will be a means to scrutinise the local authority and to share issues which I feel are important and which would otherwise perhaps remain unreported.
I have always acted with good faith and personal integrity and written this blog with the honest belief and opinion that everything I have said is true to my best knowledge. I have not made unwarranted personal attacks on individuals; my intention has been to highlight failings within a public body where I believe it is necessary and to try and bring some transparency and accountability to my local council for the benefit of residents and taxpayers.
As for the litigation itself, as I have said, some issues are yet to be resolved so it would be inappropriate to comment yet.
My heartfelt thanks, as ever, goes to my legal team, and of course to my family and friends, well wishers and supporters.
The future of the blog? Business as usual.
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Mrs Angry, author of the Broken Barnet blog has written about yesterday's events and the wider picture; she needs no introduction, please go and have a read;
Daft arrest: the last word? Caebrwyn returns to the High Court
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| me after the hearing, from Mrs Angry's blog --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
2 comments:
This is very unfair, using £thousands of public money to crush one local blogger. How much of the legal fees spent yesterday, I wonder, come under the "illegal payments" category according to the Wales Audit Office?
Was the council climbdown timed to allow Mr James' legal fees to be paid once again?
@Anon Thanks for your comment. I understand that the council climbdown was only in relation to the unlawful pension arrangements. The matter of the unlawful libel indemnity has yet to be resolved, or not resolved, whichever the case may be.
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