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ARTICLE · 06 MARCH 2026

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New Defamation Regime Set To Come Into Operation

Dillon Eustace
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The Defamation (Amendment) Act 2026 (Act) has been signed into law, following its passing by both houses of the Oireachtas earlier this month.

IrelandLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
David Kavanagh
David Kavanagh
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The Defamation (Amendment) Act 2026 (Act) has been signed into law, following its passing by both houses of the Oireachtas earlier this month. Furthermore, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has now signed the Defamation (Amendment) Act (Commencement) Order 2026 (Commencement Order), which provides for the commencement of the majority of the provisions of the Act from 1 March 2026.

Key Reforms

The new regime will significantly transform the landscape of defamation law in Ireland (see our video from June 2025 discussing the proposed changes contained in the then bill). Key reforms are as follows:

Abolition of juries in High Court defamation cases

Future defamation proceedings in the High Court will be heard by a presiding judge sitting alone, with juries removed from the process. The rationale for this change is to minimise legal costs and delay by reducing the length of hearings and to tackle disproportionate awards.

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