Northern Ireland's Health Minister is suing Van Morrison after the singer branded him "very dangerous" over his handling of Covid-19 restrictions.
The legal action focuses on a high-profile incident at the Europa Hotel in Belfast in the summer when the singer, a vocal lockdown critic, took to stage and criticised Robin Swann.
The defamation proceedings also cite two subsequent incidents when the singer elaborated on his views on Mr Swann.
In the first, when he was challenged by a Sunday Life reporter about his initial comments, Morrison was reported to have described the minister as a "fraud".
The second relates to content the songwriter uploaded on YouTube in which he addressed the Europa Hotel controversy. In that video, he again criticises the minister and calls him "dangerous", albeit he refers to him incorrectly as "Robert Swann".
Mr Swann is being represented in the action by renowned libel lawyer Paul Tweed.
"Proceedings are at an advanced stage with an anticipated hearing date early in 2022," he said.
The Belfast-born singer has been an ardent critic of coronavirus restrictions, particularly those that prevented live music performances.
He recorded a number of anti-lockdown songs last year that he said were aimed at the UK Government.
The lyrics included claims that scientists were "making up crooked facts" to justify restrictions that "enslave" the population.
Mr Swann subsequently responded to those songs in a piece written for Rolling Stone magazine.
In that op-ed, the Health Minister described the singer’s claims as "bizarre and irresponsible".
He said some of what he was claiming was "actually dangerous" and would provide "great comfort to the conspiracy theorists".
