Committal for Contempt of Court in Open Court in Manchester: DDD and EEE -v- Michael James Halligan
Claim No. BL-2021-MAN-000079
In the High Court of Justice
Business and property Courts in Manchester
Business List (ChD)
6 July 2021
Before:
HHJ Cawson QC
Sitting as a Judge of the High Court
Between:
DDD
and
EEE
-v-
Michael James Halligan
For the reasons set out in a judgment of HHJ Cawson QC, sitting as a Judge of the High Court, handed down in public on 25 June 2021, MICHAEL JAMES HALLIGAN (“Mr Halligan”) was found to be guilty of contempt of court by breaching paragraph 3 of an Order made on 14 November 2020 (as affirmed by the Court of Appeal with minor variations) (“the Order”).
The essence of the contempt of court found to have been proved beyond reasonable doubt was that Mr Halligan had breached the Order in some 28 respects by disclosing information set out in Confidential Schedule 1 to the Order that he was restrained by paragraph 3 of the Order from disclosing, making adverse and derogatory remarks about the Claimants, and seeking to damage the
business of the Claimants by the release of the information set out in Confidential Schedule 1 to the
Order.
On 6 July 2021 HHJ Cawson QC committed Mr Halligan to prison for a term of six months, suspended for a period of 3 years from 6 July 2021 on terms that Mr Halligan complies with the terms of paragraph 3 of the Order, and Confidential Schedule 1 thereto, and ordered Mr Halligan to pay the Claimants’ costs of their application to commit on an indemnity basis.