Irish government plans to reform defamation laws, addressing SLAPPs, reducing costs for online defamation cases, and introducing new defences for retailers.

The Irish government plans to overhaul defamation laws, including abolishing juries in High Court defamation actions, introducing protections against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), and reducing legal costs for those involved. The new legislation, set to be published in autumn, will also provide a new defence for retailers and make it less costly for plaintiffs to obtain the identity of online defamers. The Defamation (Amendment) Bill, 2024, has been approved by the Cabinet and is expected to be enacted before Christmas.

July 25, 2024
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