Defamation Proceedings Initiated Against Irish Media Outlets

Diarmuid Brecknell

Diarmuid Brecknell is a Solicitor in the Public Law, Inquests and Inquiries Department at Phoenix Law, Belfast, a leading human rights and litigation firm specialising in complex actions against public authorities. He completed his LLB at Ulster University and graduated from the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queen’s University Belfast in 2025.

Diarmuid specialises in public law, inquests, public inquiries, and high-value civil litigation. He acts for individuals, families, and large groups of victims in cases involving state accountability, legacy investigations, institutional abuse, and serious human rights breaches. He is regularly instructed in some of the most high-profile and legally significant cases in Northern Ireland and across the UK and Ireland.

Public Law, Legacy and Human Rights Litigation

Diarmuid has been centrally involved in complex and often contentious litigation arising from the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland, with a particular focus on Article 2 ECHR-compliant investigations and state accountability.

His experience includes work on:

• Re McGuigan & McKenna [2021] UKSC 33 (the “Hooded Men” case) – a landmark Supreme Court case concerning the use of torture and the obligation on the state to conduct effective investigations into serious human rights violations.
• Re Barnard [2022] NICA (the “Glenanne Series”) – a pivotal Court of Appeal decision which led to the establishment of Operation Denton, an independent investigation into over 120 murders linked to alleged collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and state agents.
• Ongoing litigation arising out of the Glenanne Gang cases, including civil claims against the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
• Judicial review proceedings challenging failures by public authorities in respect of investigations, disclosure, and decision-making processes.
• Claims involving misfeasance in public office, systemic investigative failures, and breaches of Convention rights.

He is also instructed in ongoing proceedings relating to historic investigative failures, including cases concerning the adequacy of police investigations, disclosure obligations, and compliance with Article 2 procedural duties.

Inquests and Public Inquiries

Diarmuid has significant experience in large-scale, complex inquests and public inquiries, often acting for families who have campaigned for decades for truth and accountability.

His work includes:

• The Stardust Fire Inquest (Dublin, 2023–2024) – acting as part of the legal team representing families of the 48 victims. The inquest returned unlawful killing verdicts in respect of all 48 victims, overturning over 40 years of injustice and representing one of the most significant inquest outcomes in Irish legal history.
• The Ballymurphy Inquest (2021) – involvement in proceedings which found that ten civilians killed during the introduction of internment in 1971 were entirely innocent and that their deaths were unjustified and unlawful.
• The Michael Shine Institutional Abuse Case – currently instructed on behalf of over 380 victims in one of the largest institutional abuse scandals in the history of the State. Diarmuid has been closely involved in progressing the case from early investigative stages through to the current government-led scoping exercise for a statutory public inquiry.
• The Hickson Public Inquiry (Waterford) – work in relation to allegations of historic child sexual abuse and institutional failures in Waterford from the 1980-1990s. Diarmuid has been involved from the beginning of this inquiry through to now, where the report is about to be handed down.
• Multiple legacy inquests in Northern Ireland, including contentious pre-inquest review hearings involving disclosure disputes, police conduct, and Article 2 compliance.

He has experience working within large legal teams in inquiry settings, coordinating disclosure, engaging with expert evidence, and contributing to strategic litigation approaches in cases of significant public importance.

Civil Litigation and Group Actions

Alongside his public law and inquest practice, Diarmuid acts in complex, high-value civil and commercial litigation across multiple jurisdictions.

His experience includes:

• Acting in group litigation involving large cohorts of claimants, including actions against public authorities and private entities. Diarmuid acts for over 50 claimaints in a group action against a NI business, accused of running a Ponzi-style scheme.
• Civil claims arising from assaults, human rights breaches, and systemic failures, including cases engaging both domestic law and the European Convention on Human Rights.
• Cross-border litigation involving proceedings in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and international jurisdictions, including matters with parallel criminal and civil elements
• Pre-action and strategic litigation designed to secure accountability, early settlement, or policy change.
• Diarmuid acts in a large amount of troubles related civil actions to include the cohort of Glenanne Gang cases, current in front of the High Court.

He has played a key role in securing substantial settlements on behalf of victims and survivors in claims against state bodies including the PSNI and MOD, as well as private organisations.

International and Strategic Litigation

Diarmuid’s work frequently engages international human rights principles and cross-border legal issues. He has been involved in:

• Strategic litigation engaging the European Convention on Human Rights, particularly Articles 2 and 3.
• Cases involving state accountability for serious human rights violations, including torture and inhuman or degrading treatment.
• Pre-action correspondence and potential litigation against UK Government departments, including Judicial Review against decisions from the Victims Payment Scheme.
• Complex evidential and procedural issues in cases involving international dimensions, including jurisdictional challenges and cross-border enforcement.