Prisoner’s hunger strike choice upheld during assault sentence

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

The prisoner’s choice to refuse food and medical aid was upheld by the High Court, reported on 1 April 2015, while he was serving a sentence for assault and theft.

Ms Justice Marie Baker ruled that a freely made and fully informed decision to reject treatment must be respected. The prisoner had been on hunger strike for 50 days while disputing prison conditions, including how his food was distributed and whether officers should escort him during exercise. Two consultant psychiatrists found that he had capacity to refuse food and understood the risks.