THE Minister for Enterprise and Employment has revoked an order fixing a maximum price for UK magazines, the High Court was told yesterday. Eason and Son asked the court to strike out its action against the ministerial order, made last July, because it was revoked last week.
Eason, a wholesale distributor of newspapers and magazines, was granted an injunction last July preventing the Minister from taking steps to enforce the Maximum Prices (Magazines) Order, 1996, made on July 9th. It had been due to come into effect on July 17th.
The company had also been granted leave to seek a judicial review of the order. Counsel for the Minister indicated that he would be contesting the case.
Yesterday, Mr John Gordon SC, for Eason, said that on October 14th last the Minister revoked the order about which his client complained. He therefore asked that the action be struck out and for costs.
Mr Charles Meehan, counsel for the Minister, saying the order had been revoked, said he did not think he could object to paying Eason's costs.
Mr Justice Kelly said he would make an order striking out the proceedings and make an order for costs in favour of Eason. He made no order on costs in relation to the Irish Retail Newsagents' Association, which was joined as a notice party. The judge added that it was getting the benefit of the revocation.
Eason, of Middle Abbey Street, Dublin, had claimed the order constituted a distortion of trade between Ireland and the UK.
It claimed it had about 60 per cent of the wholesale distribution of UK magazines in Ireland and if the order came into force it would sustain losses on UK magazine sales of about £1 million per annum.