Charlotte Mulhall wins most costs in prison visits case

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Charlotte Mulhall was awarded most of her legal costs in a High Court case over family visits after her transfer to Limerick Prison; the written decision was reported on 30 March 2022.

The court awarded her 50% of the costs of her leave application and 66% of the costs of the full hearing, after visits with close family were arranged at neutral venues and were likely to continue.

The judge said Mulhall was not entirely successful: permission to challenge her 2018 transfer was refused as the action was out of time, while the court had allowed her claim seeking temporary transfers to Dublin for family visits to proceed. The judge accepted the prison authorities had made a bona fide effort to treat her fairly, and said external factors had frustrated the visits.

The judge formally struck out the proceedings after making the costs order, which was stayed for 28 days pending any appeal.