State ordered to pay costs after FGM convictions declared miscarriage of justice

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

The State must pay the couple’s costs after their quashed convictions for the female genital mutilation of their daughter were declared a miscarriage of justice. The Court of Appeal granted the certificate last month, finding newly discovered facts in expert reports showed the couple were factually innocent on the balance of probabilities.

At a costs hearing on July 31, the DPP sought a reduced order, arguing that issues raised had lengthened the process. The court found those matters had not prolonged it and saw no reason to depart from the rule that costs follow the event.