The editor of Business and Finance magazine has secured a temporary High Court order restraining the magazine from dismissing her.

The injunction application on behalf of Ms Carissa Casey was made yesterday by Mr Peter Ward, who said his client had been dismissed in a peremptory and summary manner with no proper procedures to justify the decision.

Despite knowing the matter was being challenged, the magazine had published last Wednesday in the Irish Independent its intention to replace Ms Casey, counsel added.

Mr Justice Kearns granted an interim injunction, returnable to Monday next, restraining Moranna Ltd, trading as Business and Finance, from treating Ms Casey as other than continuing to be employed as editor of the magazine. He also granted an interim injunction restraining the defendant from issuing or preparing any further announcement concerning Ms Casey or her status as editor.

In an affidavit, Ms Casey said she had been head-hunted for the position of editor by Mr Ian Hyland, chief executive of Business and Finance, and was employed by the company as editor in December 2002.

She was paid a basic annual salary of €60,000, plus a bonus of €10,000, paid quarterly, and a further bonus of €5,000, to be put in place before the end of this year and based on "mutual satisfaction of progress and deliverables".

From the outset, she had difficulty recruiting contributors because of concerns regarding payment. Some contributors had refused to work for the firm. She understood the company had cash problems and she frequently had to reassure contributors that the firm would pay them.