Courts / Ireland / Report

Real IRA leader in Supreme Court bid

Summary

In a 2014 Supreme Court case, the Court of Criminal Appeal has set aside a decision on whether to grant Michael McKevitt, a 64‑year‑old former Real IRA leader, leave to appeal his conviction for directing terrorism. McKevitt was the first person in Irish history to be jailed for directing terrorist activities, following a 2003 conviction. He also lost a 2002 appeal against a civil ruling that found him liable for the Omagh bombing. McKevitt's lawyers argue that the conviction should be set aside because the search warrant used to raid his home was issued under section 29 of the Offences Against the State Act, which the Supreme Court later ruled was unconstitutional. Counsel Michael O'Higgins SC asked the Court to consider whether evidence obtained under an unconstitutional provision constitutes a newly discovered fact and whether a convicted person can raise such a point after finality. The Court of Criminal Appeal has reserved its decision for a later date.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Real IRA leader in Supreme Court bid. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• August 2003 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2014-02-18 Publication

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence

Read the original CNI report