JACKSON TO SUE SENATOR FOR TWEET
PADDY Jackson is to sue senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin over a tweet the Labour politician posted following the Ireland and Ulster rugby player’s acquittal in the Belfast rape trial this week.
Lawyers for Jackson, 26, have issued a notice of intention to sue Mr Ó Ríordáin, a former minister who lost his seat in the 2016 general election.
The action relates to a tweet Mr Ó Ríordáin posted about the case shortly after Jackson, Stuart Olding and two others were unanimously acquitted of all charges at Belfast Crown Court.
The tweet was subsequently deleted.
But Jackson’s lawyers said the rugby player had no option other than to resort to the civil courts to ‘seek protective action’ in response to the senator’s tweet.
Marie Hans, senior associate at KRW Law, said: ‘I can confirm we have issued pre-action libel correspondence against a named senator in the Republic of Ireland.
‘The legal action relates to a tweet sent to a number of other persons before it was eventually taken down.’
She said the legal team ‘will not hesitate to repeat similar legal action’ against other individuals.
‘We are examining carefully every item of social media commentary which seeks to challenge the integrity of the jury’s full endorsement of our client’s innocence,’ said Ms Hans.
‘High Court proceedings will issue shortly in both Belfast and Dublin.’
A spokesman for the Labour Party told the Irish Daily Mail that neither the party nor Mr Ó Ríordáin would be commenting on the legal action.
The spokesman said: ‘Senator Ó Ríordáin won’t be commenting at this time.
‘The Labour Party won’t be commenting at this time.’
Senator Ó Ríordáin could not be reached for comment when contacted by the Irish Daily Mail yesterday.