A defamation case against the Tipperary based President of the Law Society is to proceed in early November.
This is despite efforts by Maura Derivan and her husband Patrick to have the trial date postponed as it clashed with the annual conference of the International Bar Association in Paris.
The Circuit Civil Court heard that former US President Donald Trump had fewer court applications relating to his litigation before US courts than the current President of the Law Society has brought in defending an alleged defamation of character claim brought against her and her husband by a Carrick on Suir accountant.
Maura Derivan and her husband, Patrick, who are being sued for damages of 50,000 Euro by Bobby Fitzgerald, had asked Judge John O’Connor to have a trial date postponed because it clashed with a conference in Paris, she felt she had to attend in her official capacity.
Judge O’Connor, having been told that the 14-year-old defamation case had been transferred from the Southeastern Circuit to Dublin and mentioned in courts 24 or 25 times, told the Derivan’s’ legal team “This case cannot continue in this fashion any longer.”
Although clashing with the annual conference of the International Bar Association in the French capital’s Palais Des Congress from 29th October to 3rd November, Judge O’Connor said he would allow the fixed trial dates of the 1st and 2nd of November to remain in place.
The action was launched against the Derivan’s by Fitzgerald, a chartered accountant, and head partner of Fitzgerald Fleming Long in Carrick-on-Suir, in 2009 and in an earlier application the Derivans were criticized for attempting to frustrate the hearing of the action against them.
The couple practice as Derivan Sexton and Co, Solicitors.
