Courts / Dublin / Report

Former head of Garda Press Office seeks to halt media leaks probe

Date
2016-02-29

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Superintendent David Taylor, former head of the Garda Press Office, has filed a High Court challenge to stop an investigation into alleged breaches of the Garda Siochana Act and the Data Protection Act over the leaking of sensitive information about a childcare matter in South County Dublin on 21 October 2013. Taylor claims that evidence in the case has been tampered with and that the investigation has been conducted in a way that interferes with the integrity of the evidence and the administration of justice. He seeks injunctions to halt further steps by the Garda Commissioner and the Director of Public Prosecutions until a report is provided that addresses his concerns about the conduct of the investigation. The application was adjourned for two weeks, and Taylor's counsel highlighted alleged phone calls, arrests, and the use of phones that may have compromised evidence. The court will consider whether the investigation should be prohibited due to the alleged interference with evidence.