A French court has granted an injunction preventing further publication of topless images of the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton.

The court ordered Closer magazine to hand over the topless Kate photographs within 24 hours.

Lawyers for the couple have also asked the judge to decide whether the editor of the magazine and the photographer who took the pictures should face criminal charges.

It has also opened a preliminary criminal investigation into the publication of the pictures.

The injunction prevents the French magazine from reproducing the photos again.

They were the first publication to do so.

The Irish Daily Star and Chi magazine in Italy have also used the images.

Last night the Editor of the Irish Daily Star Michael O’Kane was suspended following the publication of the topless photos in the paper.

The newspaper says it will make no further comment until after the completion of this investigation by the shareholders of the company.

The news comes as lawyers for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge told a French court yesterday that Kate Middleton is a woman, not an object and called for an injunction banning further printing of topless pictures of her.

The controversy has prompted the Justice Minister here to announce that he plans to re-examine our privacy legislation.

Alan Shatter says there will have to be a balanced law that protects freedom of the press but also allows a right to privacy for the individual.

Media lawyer Charlotte Harris says the Paris injunction could also affect Ireland.