Supreme Court shields President Higgins from environmental records requests

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

The Supreme Court, in a judgment delivered by Ms. Justice Baker on 29 April 2022, allowed the State parties’ appeal and dismissed Right to Know CLG’s cross-appeal concerning environmental information requests.

The court held that presidential immunity prevented requests for information being made directly or indirectly through the Secretary General to the President or the Council of State. It also held that the President was not a public authority under the European environmental information rules, overturning the High Court’s disclosure direction.

The requests concerned records relating to two speeches by President Higgins and documents held by or on behalf of the Council of State.