Judgment reserved in Denis O’Brien case

A High Court judge will decide if a company that lost out on a mobile phone licence in 1996 can sue Denis O’Brien, Michael Lowry and the Irish State using money from a British litigation funder.

Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly heard four days of submissions at the High Court this week as part of an application by Persona Digital Telephony and Sigma Wireless Networks.

Persona has asked to be allowed to take its legal claim using funds from British company Harbour Litigation Funding. Such arrangements are typical in Britain but are barred in Ireland under the law of champerty, which forbids unrelated third parties from funding a court claim in the hope of taking a share of the proceeds of a victory.