Bailey partner loses judge challenge

The judge who presided over Ian Bailey’s failed action for damages against the State over the investigation into the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier has refused an application by Mr Bailey’s partner Jules Thomas to refrain from deciding further matters in her action.

Mr Justice John Hedigan said Ms Thomas had made out no grounds to support her claim that a reasonable person in her position would have a reasonable apprehension of objective bias on the judge’s part arising from comments made by him when dealing last month with pre-trial matters in her case. Following his decision, he adjourned those matters for mention in December.

Ms Thomas had asked Mr Justice Hedigan not to deal with further matters in her case, including her pre-trial application to amend her claim so as to allege fraud against the defendants and to allege she was so traumatised by their alleged actions she was unable to bring her action, relating to events in 1997 and 2000, until 2007.