Paul O'Shea loses contempt sentence remission case

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

Paul O'Shea’s High Court application for remission of his contempt-of-court sentence was refused on 19 October 2015. The court had committed him after he failed to surrender vacant possession of property and comply with related undertakings.

Mr Justice McDermott held that Rule 59(3) of the Prison Rules 2007 excludes prisoners committed for contempt of court from the remission regime. The rule therefore did not require the prison authorities to grant remission in his case.

O’Shea had been ordered to serve 100 days in prison after being found guilty of serious and continuing contempt. The judgment records that he was due to serve the term without remission.