The Court of Appeal has refused to postpone enforcement of costs orders against three CNN-related companies following their unsuccessful appeals in defamation proceedings brought by Declan Ganley and Rivada Networks Limited.
The ruling concerns Cable News Network Inc., Cable News International Limited and Turner Broadcasting System Europe Limited. In March 2026, the Court of Appeal dismissed two appeals arising from preliminary applications in the High Court.
The first involved all three defendants and challenged the High Court’s refusal to set aside service of proceedings outside Ireland. The defendants had argued that Ireland was not the appropriate forum and that the litigation should instead be heard in the United States, where CNN Inc. is based.
The second appeal was brought by Cable News International Limited and Turner Broadcasting System Europe Limited. They had sought to have the proceedings against them dismissed on the basis that no reasonable cause of action was disclosed or that the claims were bound to fail. That appeal was also unsuccessful.
The defendants accepted that Ganley and Rivada were entitled to their appeal costs but asked for payment to be stayed until the underlying proceedings conclude. They argued that further interlocutory applications were likely and that future costs awards might ultimately be set off against those already made.
Mr Justice Denis McDonald said Court of Appeal authority places the burden on the party seeking a stay to show that postponement is required in the interests of justice. The possibility of future set-off, by itself, was insufficient.
The court noted there was no suggestion that Ganley or Rivada were unable to meet any future costs orders made against them, or that the defendants would face particular difficulty recovering such costs later.
The stay applications were therefore refused. Ganley and Rivada are entitled to the costs of both appeals, to be adjudicated if not agreed. All three defendants are liable for the costs of the jurisdiction appeal, while only the second and third defendants are liable for the costs of the appeal seeking dismissal of the claims against them.