Kneecap Initiates Legal Proceedings Against Canadian MP Vince Gasparro

Phoenix Law has today confirmed that it has issued legal proceedings on behalf of the Irish rap group Kneecap comprised of Liam Óg Hanna, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh in relation to defamatory statements made by Canadian Member of Parliament Vince Gasparro.

The proceedings arise from a video posted to Mr. Gasparro’s personal account on the platform X on 19 September 2025, in which he made defamatory comments concerning the immigration status of the group in connection with their pending applications to enter Canada. The statements, which were widely circulated across national and international media, were inaccurate and caused significant damage to the group’s reputation.

Kneecap have actively engaged at each stage of the process and indeed this office has been in direct correspondence with the Canadian Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship regarding the status of each group member’s individual application. It has since been confirmed that neither the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office or the Canada Border Services Agency were consulted prior to the publication of Mr Gasparro’s video on his personal social media account.

Speaking today, Darragh Mackin, Partner at Phoenix Law, stated:

“Our clients have been subject to serious and unfounded assertions by way of a public video posted on a personal social media account which has caused substantial reputational harm. The statements made by Mr. Gasparro were wholly inaccurate and defamatory without any reason or justification. It is unprecedented for a Government Minister without consultation with the Prime Minister or the respective department to take to matters into their own hands via their own social media channel. Such clickbait tactics have no place in a modern democracy. Such actions fall foul of the most basic of principles and for those reasons we have no alternative but to now seek immediate correction and clarification by way of Court proceedings.

Kneecap, just like every private citizen, are entitled to fairness and the protection of their good name and reputation. These proceedings have been initiated to vindicate those rights.

Kneecap remain committed to progressing their immigration applications and to constructively engaging with the relevant Canadian authorities who were not consulted in advance of Mr Gasparro’s Twitter video.”

Kneecap’s full statement can be viewed here: