NI Solicitors Win €800k Defamation Case Against O’Brien

NI Solicitors Awarded Over €800k in Defamation Case

Two Northern Irish solicitors have been awarded a combined total of €823,500 in damages after a High Court jury in Dublin found they were defamed by businessman Denis O’Brien and his spokesperson, James Morrissey. Darragh Mackin and Gavin Booth, both of the Belfast firm Phoenix Law, were vindicated on Friday following a legal battle concerning a press release issued nearly a decade ago.

Jury Finds Allegations Baseless

The case centred on a press statement from October 2016, which was published in response to a report Mr Mackin and Mr Booth had authored on media ownership in Ireland. The jury concluded that the statement contained serious and unfounded allegations that were damaging to the solicitors’ professional standing and personal reputations. The court determined that the claims made against them were entirely without merit.

Substantial Damages Reflect Gravity

The significant payout was broken down for each solicitor, with both set to receive approximately €411,750. This figure comprises €270,000 in general damages and a further €141,750 in aggravated damages, a decision that underscores the severity of the defamation. In a statement, Johnsons Solicitors, representing the pair, said the press release had “advanced serious and entirely baseless defamatory allegations against enquirers introduced to professionals”.

The firm added: “The jury’s award of substantial damages, together with aggravated damages, delivers a public vindication of enquirers introduced to professionals’ reputation and professional standing. This outcome underscores the gravity of the defamatory allegations and reaffirms that such unfounded attacks on individuals who serve the justice system should not be tolerated.”