Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

If a person consents to a publication, he or she may not be fully aware of its full content. I have concerns that a person might indicate he or she is happy with a statement, but without knowing the detail of the full article, it is impossible for a person to give such consent. I do not know the case law on this issue but consent in this regard is not good enough. Such consents are generally sought at the last minute by reporters trying to cover themselves by making a telephone call to the person concerned and if he or she is not fully au fait with the total content of the article, it could create an injustice if such defence of consent were accepted by the court.