The High Court has temporarily blocked Mandate Trade Union from enforcing the suspension of National Executive Council member Lorna Langan, allowing her to participate in union activities ahead of elections scheduled for April 27.
Langan, a Mandate member since 2015, was elected to the union's NEC in 2024 and was nominated in December 2025 to seek another term. She had been raising concerns inside the union about matters she described as involving financial governance, transparency, conflicts of interest and protected disclosures.
An emergency NEC meeting in February prevented circulation of her election candidate profile. Staff later complained that the profile and related conduct were damaging to the reputation and integrity of union officials and employees.
On March 22, while Langan was absent in hospital, the NEC decided to suspend her union membership and NEC membership pending an independent investigation. The suspension prevented her taking part in union activities, including the forthcoming election.
Ms Justice Bolger found Langan had not been told in advance that suspension would be considered, had not been informed of a Staff Relations Committee proposal that she be suspended and had no opportunity to make representations before the decision.
The court also found she had established a strong case that Mandate's rulebook did not provide the power relied upon for this form of interim suspension. Rule 13.1 concerned suspension from NEC office pending determination by a delegate conference, while Rule 26 concerned investigation and consideration of complaints. The judgment found no evidence explaining why suspending Langan was necessary to facilitate the investigation.
A later NEC meeting on April 13 did not cure the procedural problem. The judge found that consideration of legal correspondence after the suspension was not a substitute for giving Langan an opportunity to respond before the decision.
The ruling is temporary and does not decide the ultimate legality of the suspension at trial. The independent investigation itself was not challenged. The case was listed for costs and further case management on May 8.