The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? A fine ideal. But when it comes to repossession proceedings, you won't find it in Irish courtrooms.
After the financial crash, an ordinary homeowner found himself facing mortgage possession proceedings that would consume the next sixteen years of his life. Unable to afford legal representation, and with legal aid unavailable in possession proceedings, he stood alone in court against one of Ireland's largest financial institutions and the experienced, highly aggressive legal teams acting on its behalf.
What he experienced was not the system he thought existed. Drawing on contemporaneous records, court documents, correspondence and Digital Audio Recordings, Without Prejudice - Part One tells the story of a lay litigant navigating an Irish legal system where procedure often seemed to matter more than fairness, and persistence became his only real defence.
Written in plain English with moments of dark humour, this is not a legal textbook or a political manifesto. It is the first-hand account of one ordinary person who refused to stop asking questions, refused to stop keeping records, and refused to quietly capitulate.
Covering the years from the financial crash through to 2021, Part One documents the events that led to a possession order, the appeals that followed, and the evidence that kept the fight alive. It is the first instalment of an ongoing story.
The legal and financial establishment would prefer it all stayed behind the curtain, out of public view. This book pulls the curtain back.
Sometimes the most extraordinary stories are simply true.