Courts / Ireland / Report

Judge refuses to allow rape accused change lawyers for sixth time

Summary

In a 2020 hearing at the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Paul McDermott refused a request by a 53‑year‑old rape accused to change his legal representation for the sixth time. The accused, who is on bail awaiting a 2021 trial, had previously switched counsel five times. The judge noted that while defendants have a right to choose counsel, this right is not absolute and cannot be abused to disrupt proceedings. He observed a "whiff" of a calculation to disrupt the criminal process and stated that the accused had "issues with trust" toward lawyers and medical professionals. The judge remarked that the accused was fit to plead and that further changes would be the seventh. He said the matter could be revisited once medical assessments were completed, but any future application should be made in good time. The judge's decision was based on the unprecedented number of changes and the lack of a rational reason for further switches.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Judge refuses to allow rape accused change lawyers for sixth time. Charges or matters: rape and sexual assault. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• 2020-06-30 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial

Read the original CNI report