The Public Accounts Committee will have to pay most of Angela Kerins’ legal costs for her failed High Court action against it.

It was decided the former CEO of the Rehab Group raised issues of “public importance” and shouldn’t be left to foot the entire bill.

A stay was put on the order for costs to allow PAC time to consider whether it will appeal today’s decision.

When Angela Kerins appeared before the Public Accounts Committee in 2014 she said she was subjected to questions on issues that were “wholly private” and outside the remit of the committee.

She said she felt she’d been ambushed after agreeing to attend the hearing into how money paid to the Rehab Group was being spent, only to be asked about her salary and bonus payments.

She revealed during her legal action that she was so overwhelmed by the public backlash that followed that she tried to take her own life shortly afterwards and was unable to attend a second hearing.She lost her case in January following a ten-day hearing.

The court accepted that much of what was said to her was “damaging to her reputation both personally and professionally” but ruled against her after deciding the utterances made were protected by privilege.
On the issue of costs, the court has today decided it appropriate to depart from the normal rule whereby the loser pays because she’d raised issues of special and general public importance including questions of freedom of speech in parliament and the separation of powers.

Mr. Justice Peter Kelly said it also cast a light on the position of persons who volunteered to appear before the committee and that this may have implications for it in future.
He said the court is of the opinion that the justice of the case will be met if she is awarded two thirds of her costs.
That leaves PAC to pick up the rest of the bill but a stay was put on the order in case there’s an appeal.