A judge has announced that he will conduct a hearing to determine if Enoch Burke’s mother and sister were in contempt of court due to their actions last week, which led to the temporary suspension of a High Court case involving the teacher, reports The Mirror.
Mr Justice Brian Cregan, at the High Court on Monday, informed Enoch Burke’s mother Martina and his sister Ammi that they could either represent themselves or obtain legal representation for the hearing scheduled for next Wednesday. Speaking directly to the two women, the judge stated he would listen to them on the issue on Wednesday, reports The Mirror.
Enoch Burke’s mother Martina rose in court and declared she “will always speak out when injustice is done.” “It is my duty as a parent,” she added. The judge confirmed that the pair would be granted the full right of audience when the matter returns to court on Wednesday.
Mr Justice Brian Cregan also issued a production order requiring the imprisoned teacher Enoch Burke to participate in Wednesday’s proceedings via videolink, when the question of costs will be resolved concerning his unsuccessful effort to contest the composition of a disciplinary appeal panel set up to consider his appeal against dismissal from Wilson’s Hospital School. On that prior occasion, Mr Justice Cregan determined the case was moot, or without purpose, reports The Mirror.
The judge reached this decision in a situation where two of the panel’s three members had stepped down, and the remaining member acknowledged she could take no further part in the jailed schoolteacher’s appeal. The ruling necessitates the formation of a new panel to hear Mr Burke’s appeal regarding his dismissal. This will mark the third panel assembled to address the appeal, reports The Mirror.
Mr Burke was removed from his teaching role at the Co Westmeath school because of his behaviour toward the then principal during a school religious event in June 2022. She had previously asked teachers to refer to a student using a new name and the pronouns “they” and “them”.
The decision came after a disorderly hearing at the Four Courts on Friday, which had to be paused temporarily when the judge ordered Enoch Burke to be sent back to Mountjoy Prison and to rejoin the proceedings through a video-link, reports The Mirror.
The judge had previously cautioned that if he or members of his family disrupted the hearing, he would require Mr Burke to take part in the proceedings from the prison, where he remains detained for refusing to obey court orders prohibiting him from attending the school.
Following his interruption of the school’s lawyers while they were presenting submissions to the court, Mr Burke was removed from the courtroom by prison officers, reports The Mirror.
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