Justice minister defends proposal to scrap jury trials in defamation cases

Jim O'Callaghan denies changing his mind as Sinn Féin, Labour, and the Social Democrats raise concerns about defamation bill

Justice minister Jim O'Callaghan countered opposition protests, saying both the Fianna Fáil manifesto and the programme for government had committed to passing the bill as is. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

The justice minister has denied "changing his mind" on the issue of removing juries from defamation cases.

A bill to reform the country's defamation laws reached committee stage in the Dáil on Wednesday, with much of the focus on the abolition of juries entirely for all defamation actions, a key aspect of the new law.