A major Irish news publisher has lost a High Court battle to block inspectors from probing the company’s affairs following a suspected data breach.

It was revealed in March that Irish corporate watchdog the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement was investigating Independent News and Media after a suspected data security incident from 2014 came to light.

The ODCE applied to the High Court to allow inspectors to probe INM’s affairs, but the publisher tried to have the watchdog’s decision to make the application overturned on the basis it was in breach of its rights to fair procedures.