Courts / Clare / Report
'Nothing stays secret for very long in that office': DPP solicitor claims he is being discriminated against as recovering alcoholic
Summary
Michael Murphy, a solicitor at the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) office since 2002 and a prosecutor since 2017, has lodged a complaint under the Employment Equality Act 1998 alleging discrimination because he is a recovering alcoholic. He claims the DPP denied him the opportunity to prepare a murder case and failed to transfer him out of the District Court section, which he describes as an "A&E environment." Murphy disclosed his alcoholism to his line manager after a seven‑week residential treatment in early 2019, stating he had been dealing with anxiety, depression and sleepless nights related to court work. He has sought a less court‑heavy post since February 2021 but has not succeeded. The DPP's chief prosecution solicitor, Helena Kiely, acknowledged awareness of his condition but cited pandemic staffing pressures and the need to staff a sexual offences unit as reasons for not granting a transfer.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'Nothing stays secret for very long in that office': DPP solicitor claims he is being discriminated against as recovering alcoholic. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- February 2019 Other
- February 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 2023 Other
- April 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
- April 2023 Other
- 2025-03-26 Publication
Why: A solicitor at the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has alleged he is being discriminated against by being denied the opportunity to prepare a murder case for the State because he is a recovering alcoholic. Prosecution account reported by CNI
Places mentioned
- DPP's District Court
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
Stage Hearing Or Decision Violent Crime
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