William Jones loses appeal over Coolmore book injunctions

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

William Jones lost his appeal at the Court of Appeal on 25 May 2017 against the refusal of injunctions concerning his book about Coolmore Stud. He had sought to restrain Coolmore’s lawyers from writing to booksellers and distributors alleging that the book contained defamatory material and seeking that it not be sold.

Jones denies defamation. Coolmore did not sue him for libel, and no court had established that the book was defamatory.

Court of Appeal President Mr Justice Seán Ryan held that Coolmore’s solicitors were entitled to warn distributors and booksellers about its defamation concerns. He rejected as groundless Jones’s claims of bias by the High Court and that Coolmore’s actions breached his constitutional freedom of expression.

The Court of Appeal was due to address the costs of the appeal the following week.