SUPREME COURT:The Supreme Court has refused to grant the Director of Public Prosecutions her legal costs relating to former Fine Gael TD Liam Cosgrave and his unsuccessful bid to halt his trial in connection with alleged corrupt payments for land rezonings.
The five-judge court ruled yesterday the DPP and Mr Cosgrave should each pay their own substantial costs relating to the High Court and Supreme Court hearings of the matter.
Anthony Collins SC, for the DPP, had sought his costs against Mr Cosgrave on the basis of the normal rule of costs going to the winning side. Brendan Grehan SC, for Mr Cosgrave, sought his costs against the DPP in both the High and Supreme Court on grounds of special factors in the case including alleged abuse of process. The abuse of process claim centred on the fact Mr Cosgrave had previously received a community service sentence in 2005 after pleading guilty to knowingly making a false or misleading declaration in relation to receiving political donations in excess of IR£500, in 1997, contrary to the 1997 Electoral Act.