Representatives of objectors to the proposed gas terminal in north Mayo were warned by a senior counsel during An Bord Pleanála oral hearing into the proposed gas terminal in Ballina yesterday, that they would be charged with defamation if they continued an offensive line of questioning.
Mr Patrick Butler SC, for Mayo County Council, stated that the use of the terms "fraudulent", "liars" and "not trustworthy" about witness evidence was defamatory and carried serious legal connotations.
He warned Mr Peter Sweetman, representing Friends of the Environment and Rossmore residents in north Mayo, who has no legal qualifications, that his cross-examinations could land him in court, particularly after he said a senior council official had given "the first honest answer of the day".
The hearing continues.