Lisa Smith loses challenge to legality of arrest

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

Lisa Smith lost a challenge to the legality of her arrest after the Special Criminal Court ruled on 1 February 2022 that it was lawful.

The proceedings were reported on 1 February 2022. The trial was continuing.

Smith pleaded not guilty to membership of the terrorist organisation ISIS and financing terrorism.

She was accused of being a member of the group styling itself as Islamic State at a location outside Ireland between 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019. She was also accused of financing terrorism by sending €800 to a named individual by Western Union money transfer in 2015.

Smith was arrested and detained in December 2019 under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. She challenged her arrest on the basis that the Act made no provision for offences alleged to have taken place outside Ireland.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the court was satisfied that the statutory form used was acceptable and that Sergeant Gareth Kane, who arrested Smith, had the power to do so on that occasion.