THE Minister for Finance yesterday began a High Court challenge seeking to limit witnesses' expenses incurred by Goodman International and Mr Larry Goodman at the beef tribunal.
Mr Quinn wants expenses to be limited to witnesses who gave oral evidence.
The resumption of the inquiry by the Taxing Master into the tribunal's legal costs has been postponed until the outcome of the action.
The beef tribunal ran from 1991 to 1993 and the report was delivered in July 1994. The chairman of the tribunal, now the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Hamilton, made up to 75 orders for costs in favour of counsel and, ruled that certain of the costs of Goodman International and Mr Goodman be paid by the Minister for Finance.
The inquiry into the taxation of the costs convened on October 24th last before the Taxing Master. It was halted when Mr Quinn sought leave to take High Court action in November.
The Minister is seeking to have quashed a ruling of the Taxing Master, Mr James Flynn, on November 1st last. He contends that Mr Flynn's ruling purports to allow the taxation and recovery from the Minister of witness expenses incurred by Goodman International and Mr Goodman, including costs of interviewing and corresponding with witnesses and potential witness.
Yesterday Mr John Finlay SC, for the Minister, told Miss Justice Carroll that expenses should be confined to those who actually gave oral evidence. He understood some witnesses had already been paid.
The chairman's order should be interpreted as placing a limitation on witnesses' expenses.
Mr James Connolly SC, for the Taxing Master, said the person best equipped to decide what correct disbursement to allow in the interests of justice was the Taxing Master, and the court should be very slow to disallow his jurisdiction.
The hearing continues on Tuesday.
