Courts / Ireland / Report
AG calls for review of defamation laws to protect court reporters
Summary
During a ceremony at the Four Courts on 18 December 2015, Attorney General Máire Whelan urged a review of Ireland's defamation laws to better protect court reporters. She said that court reporters perform an "important public service" by delivering court proceedings to the public, a duty enshrined in Article 34.1 of the Constitution. Whelan warned that a simple oversight, omission or error in reporting could expose reporters to litigation or damage claims, threatening their livelihood. She called for a legal provision that would make a court‑reporting statement actionable in defamation only if malice could be proven, and suggested that plaintiffs seeking to sue over such reports should first obtain leave of the courts and demonstrate bad faith in sworn documents. The remarks were made in tribute to the retiring High Court judge, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, who had supported reporters and journalists throughout his career.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: AG calls for review of defamation laws to protect court reporters. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- 2015-12-18 Publication
Places mentioned
- High Court
Topics
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