Courts / Wicklow / Report
Ireland's longest serving prisoner in fresh bid for temporary release
Summary
The Court of Appeal heard a procedural application on Friday concerning John Shaw, aged 73, who has been in custody since 1976. Shaw and another man were convicted of two murders committed in Wicklow and Mayo that year and received life sentences in February 1978. Following a Parole Board recommendation in 2016 that Shaw be granted two days of escorted outings annually, the Minister for Justice declined to support this. Shaw subsequently challenged the decision through judicial review in the High Court. Ms Justice Mary Faherty dismissed the application last March, finding fair procedures had been observed. Shaw is now seeking an extension of time to lodge an appeal against that High Court ruling, an application the State opposes. The Court of Appeal fixed 4 February for hearing the extension application.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Ireland's longest serving prisoner in fresh bid for temporary release. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- September 1976 Incident
- February 9, 1978 Incident
- April 2016 Other
- February 4 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2019-01-18 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Outcome: Shaw and Evans were both given life sentences at the Central Criminal Court on February 9, 1978. Over the years, Shaw's case has been the subject of a number of reviews first by the Sentence Review Group and subsequently the Parole Board.
Places mentioned
Topics
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