Legal

Aer Lingus pilot awarded €200,000 for defamation criticises government’s libel reform plans

Padraig Higgins said jury trials in High Court defamation cases were needed to vindicate people who have had their reputations damaged

Padraig Higgins, who was awarded over €202,000 by the Supreme Court, said that juries should not be abolished in defamation cases. Picture: Collins

An Aer Lingus pilot who was defamed by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and took a long-running legal action against the state agency has said it would be wrong to abolish juries in High Court defamation actions.

Padraig Higgins, who was awarded over €202,000 by the Supreme Court last year in a landmark defamation case, said a jury trial allowed evidence to be examined in greater detail than one before a judge alone.

Higgins made ...