Paddy Jackson’s legal representatives have been “examining carefully every item of social media”, which challenges the jury’s verdict.
Aodhán Ó’Ríordáin has stated that his solicitors are prepared for any legal dealings that may arise from a tweet he posted about the recent rape trial, which concluded at Belfast Crown Court on 28 March.
The Labour senator’s tweet garnered significant traction after he praised the courage of the woman in question and also made reference to “smug well-connected middle-class boys.”
In response, Paddy Jackson’s lawyers said they had no option but to issue a Notice of Intention to sue Mr Ó Ríordáin “for defamatory comments.”
RTÉ News quoted Senior Associate Marie Hans of KRW LAW solicitors as saying: “I can confirm we have issued pre-action libel correspondence against a named Senator in the Republic of Ireland.
“The legal action relates to a tweet sent to a number of other persons before it was eventually taken down.”
She added: “We will not hesitate to repeat similar legal action against anyone, who deliberately or otherwise, sees fit to attack our client.
“We are examining carefully every item of social media commentary which seeks to challenge the integrity of the jury’s full endorsement of our client’s innocence. High court proceedings will issue shortly in both Belfast and Dublin.”
Ó’Ríordáin wrote in this latest post: “The matter is now in the hands of my solicitors. I won’t be making any further comment.”
The matter is now in the hands of my solicitors. I won't be making any further comment.
— Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (@AodhanORiordain) April 1, 2018
After some three hours and 40 minutes of deliberation on Wednesday, the jury of eight men and three women delivered their unanimous verdicts of not guilty.
At the time, Paddy Jackson’s lawyer said at the courthouse that they were “grateful to the jury for reaching a common sense verdict”.
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