Kneecap temporarily fails in first step to sue Canadian MP for defamation of character

IRISH LANGUAGE RAP group Kneecap has temporarily failed in its first step to sue Canadian MP Vince Gasparro for defamation of character. Ms Justice Kathleen Noctor refused the group leave to serve legal documents outside the jurisdiction on Gasparro. She said there were translation issues, specifically that there was no translation of the plenary summons the group proposed to serve on Gasparro. Judge Noctor told leading senior counsel Mark Carty that the application could be made again when all paperwork was properly before the court. Advertisement File image of Vince Gasparro Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Carty told the court that Gasparro had posted statements concerning the Kneecap trio, particularly alleging that they had been engaged in violence and should be banned from Canada 'because of their terrorist activities'. Kneecap is a rap trio consisting of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, which are the stage names of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and James John Ó Dochartaigh, respectively. It is the trio's case that they had been subjected to serious and unfounded assertions which had caused them substantial reputational harm. They claim the statements made by Gasparro are wholly inaccurate and defamatory without reason or justification.