State defendants lose appeal over BT indemnity in Esat case

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The State defendants’ appeal over indemnity and contribution claims against BT Communications Ireland was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in Dublin, with BT awarded its legal costs.

The dispute concerned potential losses arising from an action over the awarding of the country’s second mobile phone licence in 1996. The appeal court, comprising Ms Justice Caroline Costello, Mr Justice Robert Haughton and Mr Justice Donald Binchy, upheld the finding that the State could not seek indemnity or contribution from BT. The proceedings were reported on 1 December 2021.