Retired judge says removing juries from defamation cases won't reduce costs

Rebekah and Jamie Vardy leaving the Royal Courts Of Justice, London, in May 2022.

A senior retired High Court judge has questioned a government plan to remove juries from defamation actions, saying that it will likely inflate legal costs and awards.

Former judge Bernard Barton told the Oireachtas justice committee yesterday that the removal of juries from defamation cases would not have the Government’s desired effect on costs.