Courts / Dublin / Report

Rulings about conditions of murderer's detention overturned by Appeal Court

Summary

The Court of Appeal overturned the High Court's findings that Daniel McDonnell's solitary confinement for a year breached his constitutional rights. The High Court had ruled that McDonnell, serving a life sentence for the murder of 16‑year‑old Melanie McCarthy McNamara, was being held in a 22‑to‑23‑hour lock‑up regime that violated his bodily and psychological integrity. The Court of Appeal held that the prison authorities were entitled to impose temporary restrictive conditions for the safety of prisoners, and that McDonnell's detention was justified for his own protection. The Appeal Court found the High Court's orders on how McDonnell was to be treated were overly intrusive and could not be upheld. The case was adjourned to October for final matters, including costs.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Rulings about conditions of murderer's detention overturned by Appeal Court. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• January 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
• February 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2015-08-01 Publication

Why: This was because of factors including the nature of the threat to McDonnell is grave, and the only purpose of the temporary conditions is his protection. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report