Judge Iseult O’Malley, who has been dealing with a Permanent TSB shareholders’ challenge to the constitutionality of laws which permitted the bank’s €4bn recapitalisation by the State, is to seek a preliminary ruling on the law from the European Court of Justice.

Shareholders of Permanent TSB who wish to challenge the constitutionality of laws under which the State has recapitalised the institution with €4bn cannot do so by amending their existing court proceedings, the High Court has ruled.

A director of Permanent TSB has described as “an egregious breach of court process” a court bid by the bank and a group of directors to prevent any action aimed at disqualifying any of the directors from involvement in the management of a company.

A shareholder in Irish Life and Permanent has "abandoned" his legal challenge against the Government’s plans to recapitalise the bank.