2015-06-18
Real IRA leader loses appeal against decision refusing him early release from prison
Stage: Appeal
Outcome: Michael McKevitt (65), last of Beech Park, Blackrock, Co Louth, was jailed by the non-jury Special Criminal Court for 20 years in 2003, backdated to 2001, for directing terrorism and for membership of an illegal organisation styling itself as the Real IRA. Speaking on behalf of the Court of Appeal today, Ms Justice Mary Irvine said the responsibility to grant enhanced remission carries great weight because it could prematurely end a sentence imposed by the courts. "It has very serious consequences not only for the prisoner but the community at large." It seemed a "radical argument" to propose, as McKevitt had done, that engagement with "some" authorised structured activity was enough to grant enhanced remission on the supposition that the prisoner is thereby less likely to re-offend "even though there may be no apparent correlation between those