Keith Harrison wins permission to challenge tribunal findings

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Garda Keith Harrison won permission at the High Court on 12 November 2018 to bring a judicial review challenge concerning Disclosures Tribunal findings. He seeks to have the tribunal’s second interim report quashed.

Harrison also seeks to prevent further publication of the second interim report and the parts of the third interim report relating to him. He seeks to have Justice Peter Charleton excluded from further matters involving him and the tribunal, and a declaration that the judge breached his rights to natural and constitutional justice and under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

His challenge relies on previous interactions between Charleton and Chief Superintendent Terry McGinn at the Morris Tribunal, which Harrison says give rise to a presumption of bias and doubts about the judge’s independence or impartiality. McGinn was the tribunal’s garda liaison officer and Charleton was one of its counsel.

Justice Seamus Noonan granted permission on an ex parte basis. The matter was due to return before the courts in two weeks.