Conor McGregor going to Supreme Court in bid to overturn civil jury finding that he raped Nikita Hand

The former UFC fighter was found liable in November 2024. He appealed the verdict but lost in July.

Conor McGregor is going to the Supreme Court in a bid to overturn a civil jury finding that he raped Nikita Hand.

The former UFC fighter was found liable in November 2024. He appealed the verdict but lost in July.

Legal firm Mulholland Law confirmed they have been instructed by McGregor and his co-defendant James Lawrence to appeal to Ireland’s highest court, according to The Irish Mirror.

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The jury rejected Ms Hand’s claim that Mr Lawrence had assaulted her but the trial judge ultimately ruled Ms Hand would not have to pay Mr Lawrence’s legal fees.

In a statement solicitor Ciaran Mulholland blasted the ruling against McGregor and declared “lip service was applied in a highly prejudicial and unfair manner”.

He also described the decision not to award Mr Lawrence his legal fees as “unprecedented and frightening”.

He said: “We believe that the applications of Mr McGregor and Mr Lawrence raise serious legal issues arising from the Court of Appeal’s judgment of 31st July 2025.

“We now seek that the Supreme Court acknowledge the exceptional public interest in adjudicating on these applications favourably.”

Mr Mulholland said McGregor’s application revolves around his “constitutional right to silence”.

He wrote that this was “properly exercised on occasions and enshrined both in Bunreacht na hEireann and the European Convention on Human Rights.

“However lip service was applied in a highly prejudicial and unfair manner before the lower courts against my client and it is only right and just that is considered and clarified by our Supreme Court.”

Speaking about Mr Lawrence, Mr Mulholland said: “Equally there is a necessity that the Supreme Court clarify that the legal points raised in the separate application of Mr Lawrence – a gentleman that was wrongfully and unnecessarily dragged through High Court litigation without cause then following successfully defending the action against him is not awarded costs.”

He continued: “This is an unprecedented and frightening ruling. It was legally shortsighted by the Court of Appeal demonstrating their bias of my clients.

“An award of costs must always follow the event irrespective of the client or judicial suspicions.”

Mr Mulholland went on to say that while the decisions of the courts were “respected” they were not “accepted”.

He added: “It must be remembered that these are civil proceedings. No criminal prosecution was ever pursued, precisely because of the absence of adequate evidence following an extensive Garda investigation which only found doubt.”

The Irish Mirror contacted lawyers representing Nikita Hand for comment.

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