Roberts says he will appeal against ruling

Media organisations, however, have labelled the judgment a victory for freedom of speech and freedom of the press over the rights of prominent individuals who have repeatedly succeeded in gagging the media over unflattering reports, says the Sunday Times. Roberts said: 'The decision of the acting judge is fascinating...there will very obviously be an appeal when I'm back from New York next week.' However, many are heartened by the judgment. Na'eem Jeenah, from the Freedom of Expression Institute, said prominent South Africans should heed the judgment. 'We are concerned that, in the recent past, politicians, business people and other prominent individuals - such as Roberts - have seen the courts as an easy resort in their attempts at gagging newspapers from publishing stories they don't view favourably.' Rhodes University School of Journalism lecturer Robert Brand said media organisations were breathing a 'sigh of relief' over the judgment. 'The media has been on the receiving end of a number of judgments that seem to afford more weight to the right to privacy than the right to freedom of expression,' Brand said. Full Sunday Times report The article (The unlikeable Mr Roberts) that led to the defamation action Judgment