Courts / Louth / Report

Judge refuses to release Shine trial transcripts to barrister overseeing scoping inquiry

Summary

A judge has refused to release transcripts of the criminal trials of Michael Shine to the lawyer overseeing a scoping inquiry into how the case was handled, until the complainants have been notified. Shine, who worked at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda from 1964 to 1995, was convicted in 2017 and 2019 of sexually assaulting nine complainants. The Government approved an independent scoping exercise in response to requests from Dignity4Patients. Senior counsel Lorcan Staines, the independent facilitator, applied for the release of trial transcripts, but Judge Patricia Ryan ruled that the court could not go against Supreme Court precedent, which states that complainants must be informed before transcripts are released. Staines argued that the information would not be made public, but the judge emphasized that complainants should be aware of where their details are going. The judge allowed the release of indictments on a limited basis. Staines said he had spoken to many complainants and that his report is due soon.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Judge refuses to release Shine trial transcripts to barrister overseeing scoping inquiry. Procedural stage: finding. Findings: Convicted

When:

• March 1995 Other
• 1964 until 1995 Incident
• 2017 and 2019 Other
• 2026-06-22 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Finding

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Read the original CNI report