Lewis Mooney BL

Lewis Mooney was called to the Bar of Ireland in 2015 and the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2020.

Lewis practices in commercial law, defamation and media law, data protection and judicial review, where he acts for both applicants and respondents across the broad spectrum of public law and constitutional law. Lewis is a member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission’s panel of counsel and alongside his practice at the Bar, he provides prepublication advice to a number of national newspaper publications.

Lewis has practised in all courts in Ireland, as well as the European Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights, the United Nations Committee Against Torture, and several statutory inquiries.

Lewis graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a first class honours degree in Law and Political Science, having completed a year of his studies at Sciences Po Paris, where he was placed on the Dean’s List. Thereafter, he went on to obtain a masters of law degree at Leiden University in the Netherlands, from which he graduated cum laude.

Prior to entering practice, Lewis was awarded the Mr Justice Niall McCarthy and Mrs Barbara McCarthy Scholarship by the Honorable Society of King’s Inns and, in his early years of practice he was awarded the Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness Fellowship by the Bar of Ireland. Lewis has also served as a mentor through the Denham Fellowship and he is now a member of the Board of the Niall McCarthy and Barbara McCarthy Scholarship.

Lewis has previously been the lead lecturer and coordinator of the King’s Inns Advanced Diploma in Media Law and Social Media Law. Lewis was also an elected member of the Bar Council, a member of the Council of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns, and the coordinator of the Bar of Ireland Voluntary Assistance Scheme, the pro bono initiative of the Bar of Ireland.

PJ Carroll & Company Ltd  v The Minister for Health Case C-759/23, 26 June 2025 – Judgment of the European Court of Justice in preliminary reference challenging a delegated directive and tobacco legislation [acting for the Minister for Health and Ireland].

Bird v Iconic Newspapers Ltd [2025] IESC 30 – Application of the defence of qualified privilege to mass media publications [acting for a newspaper].

Avolon Aerospace and Ors v Lloyds Insurance Company SA and Ors [2025] IEHC 32 – Admissibility of expert evidence in aviation insurance dispute [acting for an insurer].

B v Child and Family Agency  [2025] IESC 2 – Legality of a declaration of contempt of court against a statutory agency [acting for the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, the Attorney General, and Ireland].

Sherlock Mongans v Clare County Council and Ors [2025] IEHC 427 – Scope of the Housing Act and obligations of central government re homeless supports [acting for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage].

Persona Digital Telelphony and Ors v The Minister for Public Enterprise and Ors [2025] IEHC 33 – Application for discovery by the Plaintiff against a defendant in respect of documents provided to him by the Moriarty Tribunal of Inquiry into Payments to Politicians and Related Matters [acting for a third party].

Larragy v Cronin, The Probation Service and Ors, Unreported, Brett J., 28 April 2025 – Application to amend the Statement of Claim in defamation proceedings [acting for the Probation Service and the Minister for Justice].

In Re a Minor Respondent (JR), Unreported, 24 July 2025 – Continuation of placement orders in respect of a child against a parent’s wishes in minor wardship [acting for a respondent mother].

BOC Aviation (Ireland) Ltd v Lloyd’s Insurance Company SA and Ors [2024] IEHC 32 – Anonymisation of a witness in an aviation insurance dispute [acting for an insurer].

Bird v Iconic Newspapers Ltd [2024] IECA 62 – Application of the Defence of qualified privilege to mass media publications [acting for a newspaper].

Burke v Mediahuis Ireland Ltd  [2024] IEHC 348 – Defamation proceedings with a finding there was no injury to the Plaintiff’s reputation by untrue statements [acting for a newspaper].

McD v Child and Family Agency [2024] IESC 6 – Statutory interpretation re the Court’s obligations when dealing with an application to place a child in special care [acting for the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, the Attorney General and Ireland].

NP v Child and Family Agency [2024] IECA 108 – Unlawful detention inquiry pursuant to Article 40 of the Constitution regarding a child in care [acting for the Child and Family Agency].

In Re a Minor Respondent (BD) [2024] IEHC 242 – Transfer of a child in minor wardship for detention and treatment outside the jurisdiction [acting for a court appointed guardian ad litem].

EB v Board of Management of S. National School and the Minister for Education, Unreported, O’Donnell J, 8 May 2024 – Judicial review concerning actions taken on foot of allegations of abuse against a teacher [acting for the Minister for Education and Youth].

Hughes v Iconic Newspapers Ltd [2023] IEHC 635 – Application to extend time pursuant to section 38 of the Defamation Act 2009 [acting for a newspaper].

PJ Carroll & Company Ltd v The Minister for Health [2023] IEHC 669 – Application for a preliminary reference re challenge to tobacco legislation [acting for the Minister for Health].

JS v Minister for Education [2023] IEHC 201 – Application for a protective costs order [acting for the Minister for Education and Youth].

Clare County Council v McDonagh [2022] 2 IR 122 –Proportionality principle in respect of interferences with dwelling rights pursuant Article 40.5 of the Constitution [acting for the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission].

Coppin v Ireland UNCAT/C/73/D/879, 12 May 2022 – Admissibility of a complaint to the United Nations Committee Against Torture by a Magdalene Laundry survivor [acting for a complainant].

Faulkner and McDonagh v Ireland, application nos. 30391/18 and 30416/18, 8 March 2022 – Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights re alleged violations of Articles 6 and 8 of the ECHR in eviction proceedings in respect of members of the Traveller community with accommodation needs [acting for the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission].

Folwer v McBrearty and Donegal Daily Ltd 2022/6276P – Defence pursuant to Statutory Instrument 68 of 2003 – European Communities (Directive 2000/31/EC) Regulations 2003 in defamation proceedings [acting for a newspaper].

Powers v Greymountain Management Ltd [2022] IEHC 599– Personal liability of company directors for an international fraud [drafted papers on behalf of the Plaintiffs].

McDonnell v Mediahuis Ireland Group Ltd t/a Irish Independent 2022/1432P – Defence of fair and reasonable publication on a matter of public interest [acting for a newspaper].

Switzer v Mediahuis Ireland Group Ltd t/a The Herald 2022/3890P – Offer to make amends [acting for a newspaper].

BH (A Minor suing through his Mother and Next Friend MA) v The Child and Family Agency, Unreported, 21 July 2022, Owens J. – Judicial review of a decision by the Child and Family Agency Special Care Committee refusing to make a recommendation that a child be placed in special care [acting for the Applicants].

Adoption Authority of Ireland v O [2021] IEHC 378 – Application for an order pursuant to section 30 of the Adoption Acts 2010-2017 dispensing with the consent of the birth father where his identity was unknown [acting for the Adoption Authority].

Ms Y and Miss X v The Health Service Executive [2021] IEHC 803 – Breach of constitutional rights to bodily integrity, privacy and dignity of a child with an ASD diagnosis by a statutory agency [acting for a child applicant and her mother].

B v Wexford County Council [2021] IEHC 205 – Application for the modularisation of proceedings in proceedings relating to claims of discrimination against members of the Traveller community and their housing needs [acted on behalf of the Applicants].

In the Matter of CL, a Ward of Court [2021] IEHC 465 – Application for orders maintaining a minor ward’s placement where the parents opposed the making of orders [acting for a court appointed guardian ad litem].

Director of Public Prosecutions v Hutch SCDP0006/2021 – Application to obtain access to a transcript generated during the course of a proceedings before the Special Criminal Court [acting for a newspaper].

In the Matter of a proposed adoption of SF, Unreported, Jordan J., 15 January 2021 – Application for relief pursuant to section 30 of the Adoption Acts 2010-2017 dispensing with the need to consult the birth father in respect of a proposed adoption [acting for the Adoption Authority of Ireland].

In the Matter of a proposed adoption of SOS Unreported, Jordan J., 15 January 2021 – Application for relief pursuant to section 30 of the Adoption Acts 2010-2017 dispensing with the need to consult the birth father in respect of a proposed adoption [acting for the Adoption Authority of Ireland].

In the Matter of a proposed adoption of KMC, Unreported, Jordan J., 15 January 2021 – Application for relief pursuant to section 30 of the Adoption Acts 2010-2017 dispensing with the need to consult the birth father in respect of a proposed adoption [acting for the Adoption Authority of Ireland].

AO v Child and Family Agency [2020] IEHC 397 – Application of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 in respect of the adjudication of costs [acting for the Applicant].

H v South Dublin County Council [2020] 2 IR 775 – Interpretation of the Social Housing Assessment Regulations and the time period in which a local authority must deal with an application for social housing supports [for the Applicants].

Nolan v Sunday Newspapers t/a Sunday World [2020] 2 IR 490 – Action for damages for defamation and breach of a plaintiff’s right to privacy [drafting submissions for a newspaper].

Coleman v Sunday Newspapers t/a Sunday World 2019/006691 – Offer to make amends in defamation proceedings [acting for a newspaper, compromised].

Coffey v Iconic Newspapers Ltd t/a The Kilkenny People [2018] IEHC 673 – Motion seeking to discharge a jury on the basis of claimed prejudicial evidence in a defamation trial [acting for a newspaper].

Coffey v Iconic Newspapers Ltd t/a The Kilkenny People [2018] IEHC 856 – Motion seeking to discharge a jury on the basis of the opening of a trial [acting for a newspaper].