what a shame...
.. that this settled out of court.
in fairness, the vast majority of such actions do settle but it does mean that we, the public, are prevented from seeing the final, gory details.
there was a clear incentive to the union to settle, possibly with pressure from individual members as, had the forensic computer expert been successful in recovering data (how far had she got?), the sins of individual members would reflect badly on the union for hosting the comments. this would have been particularly so if the 'sinful' members were influential within the union.- quite apart from the prospect of individual civil damages actions and disciplinary actions against them. (is there a lawyer out there who can tell us whether a judge, as part of his judgement, could say/suggest that someone was not fit to hold union office?)
on the other side i suspect, capt patel's lawyers would reach the point where what was on offer was too good to refuse. they would tell him 'it ain't going to get any better than this - go on and you might get awarded less!' and, his reputation remains untarnished.
anyway, this brings down the curtain i suspect. someone, somewhere could be writing a sequel.