The question of who pays the legal costs incurred in the various legal cases involving members of the Burke family is raised repeatedly online.
In the civil cases involving Enoch Burke (versus Wilson’s Hospital School and Sunday Independent/Mediahuis) and Ammi Burke (versus WRC and Arthur Cox Solicitors) Enoch Burke and Ammi Burke represented themselves.
So, there are no costs, per se, on that side of the case. Or if there are they are being borne by Ammi and Enoch Burke.
However, both Enoch and Ammi Burke have had High Court and Court of Appeal costs orders made against them in favour of their opponents. What about these costs?
It is up to the WRC, Arthur Cox Solicitors and Wilson’s Hospital School to pursue their costs as against the Burkes.
From a legal perspective, this is a straightforward debt collection matter.
It is a matter for WRC, Arthur Cox Solicitors and Wilson’s Hospital School as to whether they pursue the costs or not.
But if they chose to, that is a course of action open to them.
And if the debtor was unable to pay, and the creditor pursued it to the end of the legal process, bankruptcy would be a possibility.
I have no idea whether WRC, Arthur Cox Solicitors or Wilson’s Hospital School will try to enforce the costs orders or not.
But from a legal perspective it is a debt collection process which could ultimately involve judgments against the debtors and bankruptcy.