Court to decide on timing of Lawlor crash libel cases

THE High Court will decide next Monday whether a number of libel actions by Ukranian woman Julia Kushnir, who survived the Moscow crash in which Liam Lawlor died, should be heard together.

It is now likely the first of four cases against Irish newspapers — against the Sunday World — will not now go ahead in the High Court until next November.

When Ms Kushnir’s case against the Sunday World was mentioned before Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne yesterday, Counsel for Ms Kushnir Paul O’Higgins SC asked it be given priority in the next legal term.

Counsel said there were a number of witnesses who had to travel from abroad, including the Czech Republic, New York and Israel and he asked that a definite date be set aside for the case.

The case, he said, had been given priority previously and it would now be appropriate to fix a set date.

He said the High Court will hear an application on Monday that all the cases brought by Ms Kushnir be heard together.

Mr O’Higgins said his side would be saying that it would not be appropriate to do so.

There were, he said four cases pending against the Sunday World, the Sunday Tribune and the Sunday Independent and Irish Independent.

Mr O’Higgins contended if the cases were heard together it would involve a “multiplicity of counsel and costs”.

Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne directed that all the Kushnir actions be listed together and she put the case in for mention next Thursday.