Cooper-Flynn 'to decide on political future'
The political future of Beverly Cooper-Flynn was in doubt today after the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the outcome of a failed libel action against RTÉ.
Cooper-Flynn, whose father Padraig Flynn is a former cabinet minister and European Commissioner, lost a High Court action four years ago, when a jury decided her reputation had suffered no material injury as a result of a series of RTÉ broadcasts in 1998.
RTÉ alleged that, while working for the National Irish Bank, Ms Cooper-Flynn advised or encouraged clients to evade the payment of tax by investing money in certain offshore schemes.
Ms Cooper-Flynn, 36, a representative for the Mayo constituency since 1997, unsuccessfully sued RTÉ, its chief correspondent Charlie Bird and farmer James Howard over the claims.
In the appeal, it was argued that a procedural but substantial miscarriage of justice had occurred in relation to a misdirection on the law given to the jury by the trial judge, but today the five judges of the Supreme Court rejected that contention.
After today’s judgment, Ms Cooper-Flynn said only that she was “very disappointed” about the ruling but had to accept it.
She also said she had yet to take a decision on her political future.
But the development was expected to prompt renewed Opposition demands for Ms Cooper-Flynn to be expelled from the Fianna Fáil party.
She resigned from Fianna Fáil after the High Court judgment, but was subsequently readmitted to be a Fianna Fáil candidate in the 2002 General Election.
Earlier this year, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said Ms Cooper-Flynn had been allowed to re-enter the parliamentary party because she had lodged an appeal against the libel judgment.
She was earlier expelled from Fianna Fáil in 1999 for failing to support a Dáil motion calling on her father to clarify a controversial €70,000 payment he received from a property developer. On that occasion, she was readmitted a few months later.
Ms Cooper-Flynn is also expected to give evidence later to a tribunal of inquiry into Irish planning regulation irregularities.
Following today’s judgment, Mr Bird said he was “stunned and absolutely over the moon” over the ruling which would have implications for journalists in the future.
The original libel action was the longest running case of its kind to come before the High Court – and left Ms Cooper-Flynn with a legal bill of around €2.6m.
