Speeches by Robinson.

“Paul, I am coming back to you, but not on AI—you will respect the nature of the inquiry we are holding today, which is about SLAPPs and what potential recommendations we could make about SLAPPs. I have a couple of simple questions. It is possible to pursue and protect your reputation in Northern Ireland without recours…”

“The direct application is not relating to the individual who is then contacted by the person being surveilled, but there have been discussions around, for example, within another media outlet in Belfast, 16 of their journalists being subject to surveillance, when, in actual fact, they were probably incidental to the on…”

“Just to be clear on that, there are principles around the surveillance of MPs and so on, but what you are highlighting is the incidental contact. There have been other examples—”

“We agreed to publish a letter this morning from the Chief Constable on this issue, and he talks about the number of applications for data that were made during the period between 2011 and 2024. Of that, he indicates that 0.5% were toward journalists. That is 0.5%. Mr Birney, can I ask you what your view is on the respo…”

“Good morning, gentlemen. Séamus, do you mind if I come to you first? I want to ask a question drawing on the comments of your general secretary immediately after, when she indicated that the IPT process could not be the end and that there remained questions that were unanswered. Could you give us a sense of, from her p…”

“While this session is rightly focused on PSNI, we had to mount a rebellion a number of years ago around the extension of these powers to groups as far-ranging as the Food Standards Agency. To be clear, it is not just the police.”

“You were before Master Bell, the master of the High Court—I understand that entirely. I was making a point about the cost implication in the small claims court. There are no cost awards save for where a case is vexatious. I am asking: do we need a system in our courts that goes beyond cost implications to a compensator…”

“There is no need for a correction; it was a different point.”

“This is my third and final question. In small claims court, there are no costs. It is an informal process and you cannot have a cost award made against you, save for vexatious cases. Malachi has outlined a situation in which he had a case struck out and appropriately used that mechanism, but it took four and a half yea…”

“I think Serbia is where some of the servers are based for the Shinnerbots, at least, who do a good job of intimidating others on Twitter. It is good to see you both here this morning. Allison, you mentioned the team set up in the PSNI, which has given you a greater level of access to information and therefore potential…”

“Is there sufficient action from the Law Society to go against professionals who do not give proper advice? If a lawyer is proceeding with a case that is ultimately vexatious, what sanction is there? Should there be a sanction?”

“We can do it more cheaply in the county court; that is accepted. This is my second question. As a professional, you will be approached by many who say, “I have this issue—can you give me advice?”, and you will say, “That’s a no-hoper” or “That’s a case worth pursuing.””

“Paul, I am coming back to you, but not on AI—you will respect the nature of the inquiry we are holding today, which is about SLAPPs and what potential recommendations we could make about SLAPPs. I have a couple of simple questions. It is possible to pursue and protect your reputation in Northern Ireland without recours…”

“Just to assure you that if you defame me, I will phone you before I get somebody to write to you.”

“I will close this section off so that we can move on to the legal aspects—some of the legal curtailment or at least the legal protections for us all. Can I ask whether either of you have recommendations or suggestions for measures that the Northern Ireland Executive or this Government in Westminster need to take to pro…”

“Just to put that into context, you are talking about somebody for whom there was probably no one more senior in the IRA at the time.”

“That is extraordinary—I had not realised that that was all provided by your employer. Malachi, I know that the focus has been around female journalists particularly, but you have been a journalist, a writer and a commentator for many years. You have similarly experienced physical abuse and intimidation; I have heard yo…”

“I think Serbia is where some of the servers are based for the Shinnerbots, at least, who do a good job of intimidating others on Twitter. It is good to see you both here this morning. Allison, you mentioned the team set up in the PSNI, which has given you a greater level of access to information and therefore potential…”

“While this session is rightly focused on PSNI, we had to mount a rebellion a number of years ago around the extension of these powers to groups as far-ranging as the Food Standards Agency. To be clear, it is not just the police.”

“I do not want to put words in your mouth, but that suggests that the law as it stands is right, but it was not followed, as opposed to suggesting that there are changes required within the law.”