Joanna Tuffy (Labour)

I move amendment No. 21:

In page 20, subsection (1), line 41, after "the" to insert "District Court, Circuit Court or".

We tabled this amendment because it allows for a declaratory order. As there are no damages with such an order, we believe there is no reason to confine it to the High Court. In particular, in light of the costs involved in going to the High Court, it seems unreasonable not to give the lower courts jurisdiction in this matter. It is a general issue which we should examine. There are other areas where one should be able to go to the District or Circuit Court but where one is not allowed to do so at present. This is an obvious area. It would be a simple remedy for a person who wanted to clear his or her name. He or she could simply get an order to the effect that a statement was false and defamatory of him or her.