The Supreme Court has ruled that the Public Accounts Committee acted unlawfully in its questioning of former Rehab CEO Angela Kerins.
The 6 judge court made the ruling this morning after determining in February that it had to power to do so.
It said 'by conducting a public hearing in a manner which was significantly outside of its terms of reference and which also departed significantly from the terms of an invitation by virtue of which a citizen was requested to attend, the Public Accounts Committee of Dáil Éireann acted unlawfully'.
Angela Kerins went to the Supreme Court after the High Court rejected her challenge over how she was treated at two Public Accounts Committee hearings in 2014.
The hearings were over payments to Rehab where she was asked about her €240,000 annual salary.
Ms Kerins claimed the hearings amounted to a witchhunt and she sought damages from the committee for public humiliation and the loss of her career.
In February the Supreme ruled that it had the power to declare that the PAC acted unlawfully in its treatment of Ms Kerins and this morning it made that declaration.
It said that the hearing was conducted outside of its terms of reference and departed from the terms on which Ms Kerins was invited to attend.
The court today made the ruling against the Dail rather than individual members of the PAC.
Today's judgment has set a precedent and could influence the way Oireachtas Committees are conducted going forward.
