InShort

More news in brief

More news in brief

The building used for hearings of the Morris tribunal in Clonskeagh will host a damages case against the State over an unsolved 1992 murder.

Tax inspector James Livingstone is seeking damages against the State over the conduct of the Garda investigation into the murder of his wife.

It was announced in the High Court yesterday that prior to the full action, which opens before Mr Justice John MacMenamin on April 1st, the court will decide whether the State is entitled to claim privilege over certain documents being sought by Mr Livingstone and his family for the hearing.

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Earlier, Mr Shane Murphy SC, for the State, said the State was still claiming privilege over some 2,000 pages of documents sought by the Livingstones.

Mr Livingstone (70) and his children claim gardaí were guilty of negligence and breach of duty in the management of the investigation into the murder of his wife. Mr Livingstone is claiming damages for alleged false imprisonment, abuse of legal process, abuse of power and/or misfeasance of public office, conspiracy and other matters.

Parties settle site lawsuit

A protracted legal dispute between a building subcontractor, Kilburn Developments Limited, and the Building and Allied Traders Union (Batu) was settled in the High Court yesterday.

Kilburn had claimed the actions of the union on sites where it worked had led to the collapse of its business.

Mr Michael Cush SC, for Kilburn, said the entire action had been settled and terms had been agreed between the parties.

The case had been brought against the union and two officials, Mr Neville Farrelly and Mr Gerard Kinnerk. Under the settlement, the judge made an order for costs in favour of Kilburn against the union and struck out the case against Mr Farrelly and Mr Kinnerk.

Earlier, Kilburn's lawyers argued that it was "run off sites" and that its business ultimately collapsed.

In its statement of claim delivered in June 1999, Kilburn alleged that the defendants had arranged for their members to picket its premises.

Bomb families must wait

The High Court has reserved judgment on a bid by the families of some victims of the 1998 Omagh bombing to get documents from five persons for use in proceedings for damages against the five in the Northern Ireland courts.

The families have brought a motion in the High Court in Dublin in which they are seeking the books of evidence and the transcripts of criminal trials involving each of the five men.

The families say those documents are relevant to an action which is to take place before the High Court in Belfast early next month.

Mr Justice Paul Gilligan yesterday reserved judgment on the application.

The five men against whom discovery is sought include Michael McKevitt, Beech Park, Blackrock, Co Louth, Séamus Daly, from Culloville, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, Liam Campbell, from Upper Faughart, Dundalk, Séamus McKenna, with an address at Marian Park, Dundalk, and Colm Murphy of Jordan's Corner, Ravensdale, Co Louth.

All five men have opposed the families' discovery application. The court has heard the DPP had "no difficulty" in disclosing the materials sought.