Ex-Garda boss wants to sue newspaper
FORMER Garda commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan wants to bring a defamation action against the ‘Irish Examiner’ newspaper, a court has heard.
It is the second libel action the former commissioner has sought to bring since resigning in September last year.
Ms O’Sullivan and her son, Ciaran McGowan, initiated defamation proceedings against the publishers of ‘The Sunday Times’ last July.
An intended action against Irish Examiner Ltd was briefly mentioned yesterday in the High Court.
Ms O’Sullivan’s barrister, Gary Compton, said she was seeking an order allowing her to extend the time legally allowed to bring defamation proceedings. He said that under the 2009 Defamation Act litigants had up to a year from the date of publication to bring defamation proceedings, but the High Court can extend the time limit to a maximum of two years.
Mr Justice David Barniville granted Ms O’Sullivan’s lawyers permission to serve Irish Examiner Ltd with short notice of her application to extend time. He granted permission on an ex-parte basis, in the absence of any representation on behalf of the newspaper, and made the matter returnable to tomorrow’s sitting of the court.
During the short hearing, no details concerning the alleged defamation were aired in open court.
Ms O’Sullivan was the first woman to lead An Garda Síochána.