Courts / Kilkenny / Report

High Court to consider publishing names of 340 former Christian Brothers

Summary

The High Court will decide whether to allow the media to publish the names of 340 former Christian Brothers in an effort to encourage survivors of abuse to come forward. The case was brought by a male survivor who was abused by Brother Liam Coughlan in the 1970s. Coughlan was previously jailed for 49 counts of indecent assault. The court heard that the current head of the Christian Brothers, David Gibson, has refused to act as a nominee for the congregation, making it difficult for litigants to bring legal action against the order. The plaintiff is seeking an order to compel the release of information that would help locate former members of the order. The court ordered Brother Gibson to use his powers to gather contact details for former members and adjourned the matter for a sub-service application for newspaper advertisements.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: High Court to consider publishing names of 340 former Christian Brothers. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• 2026-07-22 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report