Ireland: Ex-FAI chief John Delaney faces €2m legal bill after Supreme Court rejects appeal over access to documents

John Delaney, the former chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), has suffered a major legal setback in his attempt to prevent the Corporate Enforcement Agency (CEA) from accessing certain documents seized from the FAI in 2020.

The Supreme Court has denied his appeal to challenge the ruling of a lower court, which upheld the Irish Corporate Enforcement Agency’s (CEA) ability to use specific documents in their criminal inquiry into John Delaney and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) for alleged financial misconduct and governance problems.

Regarding lawsuits that occurred during Delaney’s term at the FAI from 2005 to 2019, the disputed documents concern legal advice given to him specifically.

Delaney claimed that the documents were protected by legal professional privilege (LPP), which shields confidential communications between lawyers and clients from disclosure.

However, the courts rejected his argument and found that he failed to prove his claim of privilege for each document12.

The Supreme Court’s ruling ends a long-running legal battle that has delayed the CEA’s investigation for almost four years. The CEA, formerly known as the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE), is probing Delaney and the FAI over suspected breaches of company law and tax offences12.

A number of scandals, including a €100,000 loan from Delaney in 2017 to address cash flow problems, prompted an investigation into the FAI in 2019.

The legal defeat means that Delaney, now based in England, faces a €2m legal bill, having previously lost at the High Court and the Court of Appeal1.

It also means that the CEA can use the documents as evidence against him in its criminal case, which could lead to severe sanctions if he is found guilty.

Delaney resigned from the FAI in 2019 after a public outcry over his management of the association and his lavish lifestyle, which included a €360,000 annual salary and a €3,000 monthly rent allowance3. He is currently working as a consultant for a football club

Sola Adeniji

News Reporter, Freelancer, and content creator

See Full Bio