In October of this year, the Law Firm’s attorneys and advocates successfully concluded a nearly six-year-long legal dispute concerning the protection of personal rights.
The Law Firm’s lawyers represented a company owning one of the largest shopping malls in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. The Client sought to compel the publisher and the editor-in-chief of an online news portal to publish an apology due to articles that violated their personal rights, specifically their good name.
The articles in question contained unverified and biased information about the Client’s activities related to the legal status of the property where the shopping mall is located and the settlement of the investment that led to its construction.
In a final ruling, the Court of Appeal in Rzeszów agreed with the Law Firm’s argument that the articles were written with a preconceived thesis and were highly biased. The court noted that, to the average reader, the articles could create the impression that the Client had acted unlawfully, which was unfounded.
The court also approved the Law Firm’s argument that the publisher and editor-in-chief of the portal had failed to adhere to journalistic standards and responsibilities, including the obligation to exercise particular care and accuracy when gathering and using journalistic materials. Additionally, the firm emphasized the role of the press in ensuring the citizens’ right to accurate information, rather than subjective reporting.
The judgment in the case was fully satisfactory to the Client.