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ARTICLE · 02 DECEMBER 2025

€800K Defamation Award Against Denis O'Brien: Fact Specific Or A Major Concern For Defamation Defendants?

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Two Northern Ireland based Human Rights Solicitors were each awarded in excess of €400,000 on 21 November, after a jury in the High Court in Dublin decided they had been defamed...

IrelandLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Darryl Broderick
Darryl Broderick
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Two Northern Ireland based Human Rights Solicitors were each awarded in excess of €400,000 on 21 November, after a jury in the High Court in Dublin decided they had been defamed by a press release issued on behalf of Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien. The award is one of the highest defamation awards ever made in Ireland. It is also noteworthy for being the highest defamation award since the Supreme Court set out guidelines for appropriate damages in defamation cases in 2022. The award may have initially sparked concern in media circles (who would be the defendant in the majority of defamation cases), but with the dust settling on the award it may be turn out to somewhat of an outlier.

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