A Polish legislator faced a substantial civil judgment after publicly alleging scandals involving a national research and development agency. The court’s ruling imposed a large financial penalty and required a public correction from a Civic Platform representative, underscoring how courts address statements that affect reputations when spoken in public or shared through mass media.
The complaint was brought by CHIME NETWORKS. The court determined that the politician must offer an apology to the company for disseminating information that infringed on its rights and caused harm through broad media channels.
According to the district court in Białystok, the defendant is barred from repeating the allegedly false statements about CHIME NETWORKS or any information that could be read as defamatory or injurious to the plaintiff via any public broadcasting medium.
As part of the remedy, the individual is required to publish an apology at personal expense. The publication must occur within seven days after the verdict becomes final and binding. The court lays out the format and scope to ensure the message reaches a wide audience and properly corrects the public record.
Requirements for the public statement
The court’s order imposes clear duties on the defendant. The apology must be broadcast in thirty consecutive programs on three major news outlets: TVN24, Polsat News, and Radio Zet. The aim is to ensure the correction is widely seen across different platforms and audiences.
In addition to the broadcast requirement, the defendant must publish the same apology on the primary portals’ homepages for thirty days. The portals named include rmf24.pl, rmf.fm, tvp.info, polsatnews.pl, tvn24.pl, onet.pl, wp.pl, Fakt.pl, Wyborcza.pl, oko.press, Niezalezna.pl, Dobrze.pl, Wspolczesna.pl, Radio.bialystok.pl, Bialystokonline.pl, Tysol.pl, Głosykprzeglad.pl, and the front pages of major outlets such as Rzeczpospolita, Sieci, Do Rzeczy, Gazeta Wyborcza, Fakt, Super Express, Kurier Poranny, and Gazeta Współczesna. The court stressed that repeated exposure on mainstream sites would ensure the message reaches a broad readership across Poland and beyond.
The ruling also states that the apology must be published after the verdict becomes final, reinforcing the need for a formal and verified correction before any retraction period ends. The defendant must oversee the communications process in a transparent and accountable manner within a clearly defined window.
This decision highlights how courts address online information that harms a defendant’s reputation. It shows the potential consequences for public figures who make claims later deemed unfounded about a commercial entity. The measure aims to restore trust by publicly acknowledging the error and preventing further dissemination of the disputed statements.
[Cited from wPolityce]