An English journalist who lost five libel actions against newspapers over their coverage of the murder of a French film producer, and the papers he is suing, have agreed to ask the President of the High Court to assign a judge to hear his appeal of the actions.
Ian Bailey is appealing a Circuit Court ruling, dismissing his claim for damages against Independent Newspapers and Bridget McLaughlin, Independent Newspapers UK Ltd and Bridget McLaughlin, Independent Star, Times Newspapers Ltd and Telegraph Group Ltd.
Mr Bailey lost his action for damages against the five newspaper groups at Cork Circuit Court in January 2004 when Judge Patrick Moran ruled that the papers had not libelled Mr Bailey in their coverage of the killing of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in Schull, west Cork, in 1996.
Yesterday at the High Court on circuit callover in Cork, Emmet Boyle, solicitor for Mr Bailey, said that both Mr Bailey and the newspapers were seeking to have the matter referred to the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan, to assign a judge to the case.
Barrister for the newspapers Jane Anne Rothwell confirmed that her clients were consenting to the application and Cork county registrar Deirdre O'Mahony agreed to have the matter brought before Mr Justice Finnegan to assign a judge.