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ARTICLE · 20 DECEMBER 2024

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High Court Awards €140,000 Damages For Defamatory Facebook Post

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On 4 December 2024, Judge David Nolan of the High Court awarded businessman Peter Casey €140,000 in damages (including €20,000 in aggravated damages)...

IrelandLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Darryl Broderick
Darryl Broderick
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Introduction

On 4 December 2024, Judge David Nolan of the High Court awarded businessman Peter Casey €140,000 in damages (including €20,000 in aggravated damages) for a defamatory Facebook post. While the case was undefended, the judgement is noteworthy as (1) it is a rare occasion of a Judge awarding damages in a High Court defamation case, as damages are ordinarily awarded by juries in such cases; (2) given the paucity of High Court decisions in defamation cases, it is a rare example of an application by a Judge of the 2022 guidelines of the Supreme Court in the Higgins v Irish Aviation Authority case; and (3) it also indicates what damages might be available for social media posts depending on how widely the post is read/circulated and the behaviour of the Defendant.

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