Courts / Ireland / Report

ODCE wants five more examiners for seized FAI documents

Summary

The Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) applied to the High Court to appoint five additional examiners to review documents seized from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), where legal privilege is claimed. In November, barrister Niall Nolan BL was appointed as the independent person to examine materials over which former FAI CEO John Delaney and the FAI assert privilege. The ODCE proposed adding five more persons to accelerate the process, given that 280,000 files were seized in February 2020, with legal privilege claimed over 3,800 documents. Kerida Naidoo SC, representing the ODCE, told Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds that the additional resources would allow the process to be completed in weeks. The ODCE also proposed specific formatting for Mr Nolan's report, which will aid the court in determining privilege. The FAI, represented by Brian Gageby BL, raised no objections to the appointment of extra examiners. However, Paul McGarry, representing Mr Delaney, expressed concerns regarding certain ODCE proposals. Ms Justice Reynolds adjourned the matter to a date next month to allow the ODCE to set out its proposals and for the other parties to fully consider them. This procedural step arises from the ODCE's criminal investigation into the FAI, where the court must determine which seized files are protected by legal professional privilege and thus cannot be used in the probe.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: ODCE wants five more examiners for seized FAI documents. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• February 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2021-01-28 Publication

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Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report