Courts / Dublin / Report

Senior Qatari Royals may contest Irish court's ability to hear defamation claim

Summary

In a High Court hearing, Irish businessman Ronnie Delany has brought a defamation claim against senior Qatari royals and Maybourne Hotels Ltd, alleging that letters published to Irish recipients defamed him and were part of a conspiracy. Delany names Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabber Al Thani, and CEO Marc Socker as defendants, claiming they jointly own the economic interest in the hotel group that operates The Berkely, Claridge's and The Connaught. He also sued French‑based Sas Societe Dexploitation Et De Dentention Hoteliere Vista and its representative Gilles De Boissieu for distributing a damaging letter. The defendants may challenge the Irish court's jurisdiction, but the case is set to proceed with a timetable for document exchange and possible motions. The matter is scheduled for a December hearing. The letters were allegedly sent on 13 April 2021 to individuals including businessman Paddy McKillen.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Senior Qatari Royals may contest Irish court's ability to hear defamation claim. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• April 13th, 2021 Adjournment
• 2022-11-14 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

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Read the original CNI report