A leading KC today won a public apology from The Times newspaper over a report on the controversy that followed her decision to appear for the government of the Cayman Islands in a case concerning same-sex marriage legislation. 

In a statement in open court read before His Honour Judge Lewis this morning, William Bennett KC said Dinah Rose KC had been 'shocked and distressed' by a report about a complaint made by gay rights campaigners to the Bar Standards Board about her use of the so-called 'cab rank' rule. According to the statement, the article said the BSB had decided to take no action but 'decided adversely to her' that she had been reckless in claiming to be bound by the rule. 

Dinah Rose KC

Dinah Rose KC

In fact, the statement continued, the BSB took no regulatory action against Rose and had seen no evidence to support a contention that she knowingly misled or attempted to mislead anyone about rule rC28 of the Bar Code of Conduct. Rose 'considers the professional obligation of barristers to accept instructions in controversial or unpopular cases to be an important matter of consitutional principle,' the statement said. 

The defandants have agreed to pay 'substantial damages' and costs.

Jessica Kingsbury, for Times Media Limited, told the court that her clients agreed with the statement and offered sincere apologies to Rose. 'They acknowledge that the article made allegations against her which were untrue. They are very sorry to have caused her distress.'