30 June 2026

SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole MLA has said the outpouring of allegations about the conduct of Jeffrey Donaldson demands a review of the North’s defamation legislation.

He said the North’s indefensible defamation regime may have created a chilling effect, stopping people coming forward with what they knew.

Mr O’Toole has written to the Finance and Justice Ministers calling on them to change the law to bring it in line with the rest of these islands and close the loophole that exists here.

South Belfast MLA Matthew O’Toole said:

“The brave actions of the victims of Jeffrey Donaldson have brought him to justice and shone a spotlight on an abuser who was allowed to operate in plain sight for decades. The revelation that many people in public life and the media seemingly knew or had heard reports of questionable behaviour by Donaldson raises the question of whether they felt unable to come forward because of the threat of punitive legal action.

“One of the cornerstones of any society is a free press and for too long the North’s indefensible defamation regime has allowed powerful people to shut down scrutiny and the legitimate work of journalists. The repeated use of SLAPPs has created a chilling effect where people feel unable to come forward to report genuine concerns because of the threat of defamation action hanging over their heads.

“I have today called on the Finance and Justice Ministers to urgently review this situation and bring forward legislation to introduce the serious harm test that was blocked from the 2022 Defamation Act by Sinn Féin, the DUP and TUV. Given the outpouring of information about Jeffrey Donaldson this week, we need to understand how these laws are impacting our society and make the changes necessary to ensure people can come forward without the fear of punitive legal action.”