Niamh McCabe

In Ireland, a plaintiff typically has a timeframe of one year following the date of publication of the defamatory statement to institute defamatory proceedings in accordance with section 11(2)(c) of the Statute of Limitations 1957. This limitation period is extendable by order of the court for a maximum of two years.

1) Irish Courts: "all the hallmarks" of an AI tool In Reddan v an Bord Pleanála [2025] IEHC 172, the High Court (Court) refused a lay litigant's application for leave to apply for judicial review, emphasising that his allegations fell short of the 'substantial grounds' threshold required for leave applications. The applicant had sought judicial review of An Bord Pleanála's decision to grant planning permission to Nenagh Golf Club.

The defendants argued that there was a substantial overlap of evidence, witnesses, issues of law and alleged losses claimed by the plaintiff. They further stated that hearing the proceedings simultaneously would save court time and avoid incurring unnecessary costs. The plaintiff counterargued that a separate judge and jury should hear each trial. He maintained that while the articles he alleges defamed him were similar, the wording and headlines differed.