Cooper-Flynn loses libel case appeal

Beverly Cooper-Flynn today lost a Supreme Court bid to overturn the outcome of a failed libel action against RTÉ

Cooper-Flynn, 36, whose father is former minister and EU commissioner Padraig Flynn, was found by the High Court three years ago to have advised or encouraged people to evade tax while working for the National Irish Bank.

The jury decided after a 28-day hearing that the politician’s reputation had suffered no material injury as a result of broadcasts by RTÉ four years earlier.

Ms Cooper-Flynn resigned from the party soon after the High Court judgment but was readmitted in time to be a general election candidate for Fianna Fáil in 2002.

Today’s ruling was expected to prompt opposition parties to have Ms Cooper-Flynn, who represents a Mayo constituency, expelled from Fianna Fáil.

She unsuccessfully sued RTÉ, the station’s chief correspondent Charlie Bird and farmer James Howard after broadcasts claimed she had encouraged National Irish Bank customers to invest money in certain offshore schemes.

In the appeal proceedings Ms Cooper-Flynn’s lawyers argued that a procedural miscarriage of justice had occurred in relation to a misdirection on law given to the jury by the High Court judge.

There was no immediate comment from Ms Cooper-Flynn after today’s Supreme Court ruling.

She was estimated to have been left with a legal bill of up to €2.4m after the High Court proceedings.

She said she was "very disappointed but had to accept the decision of the courts''.

She also said she had not yet made a decision on her political future.