Ireland Supreme Court dismisses former FAI chief's appeal over seized documents
The Corporate Enforcement Agency seized approximately 280,000 documents from the Football Association of Ireland's offices in February 2020 as part of a criminal investigation into the football association. Former FAI chief executive John Delaney, a Tipperary man who left the FAI in 2019, was made a notice party and argued that just over 1,100 documents relating to him were covered by legal professional privilege. In October 2022 the High Court ruled the documents were not privileged and the CEA could access them, and in September 2023 the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal. In January 2024 the Supreme Court dismissed his bid to hear a further appeal, finding it was not in the interests of justice to allow one.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court25 May
3 reports - Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- The CEA seized approximately 280,000 documents from the FAI's offices as part of a criminal investigation into the football association.
- When
- The documents were seized in February 2020.
- Other details
- Former FAI chief executive John Delaney, a Tipperary man, left the FAI in 2019 and was made a notice party because some seized documents related to him.
- Cause
- Delaney argued that just over 1,100 documents relating to him were covered by legal professional privilege because they contained legal advice given to him.
- In court
- In October 2022 the High Court ruled the documents were not covered by legal professional privilege and the CEA could access them as part of its ongoing criminal probe.
- In September 2023 the Court of Appeal dismissed Delaney's appeal, finding his failure to comply with a court order was a deliberate attempt to shield documents from disclosure.
- In January 2024 the Supreme Court dismissed Delaney's bid to hear a further appeal, finding it was not in the interests of justice to allow one.
- Investigation
- The CEA wants to use the seized material as part of its ongoing criminal investigation into the FAI.
34 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe Court of Appeal will rule at a later date on an appeal by former FAI chief executive John Delaney. (irishtimes.com)
- whatDelaney argued that just over 1,100 documents relating to him were covered by legal professional privilege. (irishtimes.com)
- whatDelaney claimed the documents were covered by legal professional privilege because they contained legal advice given to him. (thejournal.ie)
- whatThe Supreme Court dismissed former FAI CEO John Delaney's bid to hear his appeal against a lower court's decision allowing the CEA access to certain seized documents. (thejournal.ie)
- whatThe Supreme Court dismissed John Delaney's bid to hear his appeal against a lower court's decision. (tipperarylive.ie)
- whatThe Court of Appeal had earlier rejected Delaney's appeal against a High Court ruling that the CEA could use just over 1,100 documents relating to him. (tipperarylive.ie)
- whenThe CEA seized 280,000 documents from the FAI's offices in 2020. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe documents were seized from the FAI in February 2020. (thejournal.ie, tipperarylive.ie)
- causeDelaney claimed the documents were covered by legal professional privilege. (thejournal.ie, tipperarylive.ie)
- investigationThe documents were seized as part of a criminal investigation into the football association. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe CEA seized about 280,000 documents from the FAI's offices in February 2020. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationThe CEA wants to use the material as part of its ongoing investigation. (thejournal.ie, tipperarylive.ie)
- investigationThe CEA claimed that legal professional privilege did not apply to the material. (tipperarylive.ie)
- courtIn a decision delivered the previous October, Justice Leonie Reynolds rejected Delaney's privilege argument. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe High Court said the documents could be accessed by the CEA as part of its ongoing criminal probe. (irishtimes.com)
- courtDelaney argued the judge erred by not explaining why the documents were not privileged. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe CEA opposed the appeal. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe Court of Appeal reserved its judgment after submissions. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe Court of Appeal dismissed former FAI CEO John Delaney's appeal against a decision allowing the CEA access to certain documents. (thejournal.ie)
- courtIn October the High Court rejected Delaney's arguments and ruled the CEA could access the documents as part of its ongoing criminal probe. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe High Court said Delaney had failed to prove the documents were privileged. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe three-judge Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and upheld the High Court's findings. (thejournal.ie)
- courtMr Justice Noonan said Delaney's failure to comply with a court order was a deliberate attempt to shield documents from disclosure. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe Court of Appeal rejected Delaney's appeal against the High Court ruling the previous year. (thejournal.ie)
- courtA three-judge Supreme Court panel found it was not in the interests of justice to allow a further appeal. (thejournal.ie)
- courtIn October 2022 the High Court found Delaney had failed to comply with an order and had not shown any individual document was privileged. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe Court of Appeal said Delaney's failure to comply with the court order was a deliberate attempt to shield documents from disclosure. (thejournal.ie)
- courtIn October 2022 the High Court judge ruled that the documents were not covered by privilege. (tipperarylive.ie)
- courtThe High Court ruled the documents were not covered by legal professional privilege and could be accessed by the CEA. (tipperarylive.ie)
- courtThe Supreme Court found it was not in the interests of justice to allow a further appeal. (tipperarylive.ie)
- otherDelaney left the FAI in 2019 and was made a notice party because some seized documents related to him. (irishtimes.com, thejournal.ie)
- otherThe CEA claimed legal professional privilege does not apply to the material. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe CEA argued that legal professional privilege did not apply to the material. (thejournal.ie)
- otherDelaney left the FAI in 2019 and was made a notice party to the proceedings because some seized documents related to him. (thejournal.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 27 Jan2024Court rejects Tipperary man's appeal over authority's access to documents seized from FAI
Reports the Supreme Court's refusal to hear a further appeal in the legal professional privilege dispute over documents seized from the FAI, following the Court of Appeal and High Court rulings.
suspect, John Delaney, male, named, irish (judged from name)John Delaney - 26 Jan2024Supreme Court dismisses John Delaney's bid to hear appeal over CEA's access to seized documents
Adds that the Supreme Court refused to hear a further appeal after the Court of Appeal dismissed Delaney's appeal in 2023, and gives the three-judge panel's reasoning and the Court of Appeal's findings on his privilege claims.
suspect, John Delaney, named, irish (judged from name)John Delaney - 25 Sep2023Court dismisses former FAI chief John Delaney's appeal over CEA's access to seized documents
Reports the Court of Appeal judgment of 25 September 2023 dismissing Delaney's appeal over LPP claims on seized documents. The article does not say Delaney has been charged; he is described as a notice party to the proceedings.
suspect, John Delaney, male, named, irish (judged from name)John Delaney - 25 May2023Court to rule on John Delaney’s appeal over agency’s access to FAI documents
Reports that the Court of Appeal reserved judgment on Delaney's appeal against the High Court ruling that the CEA could use about 1,100 documents relating to him. Adds the High Court reasoning, the Court of Appeal panel and the reserved-judgment stage.
suspect, John Delaney, male, named, irish (judged from name)John Delaney