Sunday 1 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 23760False imprisonment · Co. Dublin

Supreme Court upholds €7,500 false imprisonment award to Nigerian asylum seeker

The Supreme Court dismissed the State's appeal against a €7,500 compensatory damages award to a Nigerian asylum seeker who was unlawfully detained for 26 days in 2011. The court rejected the argument that nominal damages would suffice because the man would have been lawfully detained in any event, and also dismissed the man's cross-appeal for a higher award.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court2 Dec
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
12 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe man was unlawfully imprisoned for 26 days. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe man was arrested when he travelled by bus from Belfast to Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe man arrived in Ireland in 2008. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe Supreme Court dismissed the State's appeal against the damages award. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtMr Justice Gerard Hogan delivered the Supreme Court ruling. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe award was €7,500 in compensatory damages. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe man initially claimed to be from Sierra Leone but appeared to be Nigerian. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe man was refused asylum. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherHis subsidiary protection application was also rejected while his Supreme Court appeal was pending. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe man left the State without permission from the Minister for Justice and Equalities. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherContributory negligence was applied to reduce the damages award. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe UK Supreme Court in 2011 awarded two immigration detainees nominal damages of £1 each for being illegally imprisoned for two years. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 2 Dec2022
    In courtirishtimes.com, first report
    Supreme Court dismisses State’s appeal against €7,500 damages to asylum seeker

    Supreme Court ruling dismissing the State's appeal and upholding the High Court's €7,500 award, while also dismissing the plaintiff's cross-appeal for a higher sum and applying contributory negligence to reduce the award.

    victim, male, Nigerian, non-irish