Irish Times
June 2nd 2006
Ryanair judgment reserved
The High Court has reserved judgment on a bid by Ryanair to obtain the names of individuals who posted material, including alleged threats, on a website set up to allow the airline's pilots communicate with each other.
Ryanair is seeking orders requiring the identification of persons engaged in communications on a website operated by Ryanair European Pilots Association (Repa). The company claimed the messages included a threat to "slash tyres" and showed evidence of wrongful activity against the company and its employees.
The action was taken against Neil Johnston, an official with the trade union Impact, the Irish Airline Pilots Association and its British counterpart, Balpa.
The company has claimed that pilots considering re-locating to Dublin to operate the new 737 800 aircraft were intimidated and threatened.
It contends the defendants have a duty to name the persons identified by the codename "ihateryanair", "cantfy-wontfly" and others on the Repa site and claims the website was established by and is controlled by Ialpa and Balpa. The defendants have denied the claims and contend Ryanair has not come to the court with clean hands and had itself engaged in intimidatory behaviour.
In closing submissions yesterday, Brian O'Moore SC, for Ialpa, said Ryanair had gone beyond the bounds of a reasonable reaction when it moved to investigate claims that pilots were being intimidated and bullied.
In reserving judgment on the seven-day hearing, Mr Justice Thomas Smyth said he would try to have a decision before the end of July.