Trio fail in bid to be released from prison after appeal court drugs ruling

The President of the High Court has rejected applications by three men imprisoned for drug possession offences, who sought release following a Court of Appeal decision that struck down provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act as unconstitutional. Keith Willis was convicted of possessing ecstasy tablets after gardaí discovered drugs in his vehicle in Sligo in 2012. Anthony Murphy and Joseph Carberry were each convicted of possessing synthetic cannabis and pentedrone respectively for supply purposes. The men argued their detention had become unlawful after the Act's regulatory framework was found unconstitutional, contending the substances were not legally prohibited at the time of their arrests. Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns dismissed the applications, finding their detention remained valid. He held that prior Supreme Court authority established that cases concluded under laws subsequently found unconstitutional need not be reopened absent wholly exceptional circumstances. The judge determined none of the applicants satisfied the threshold for such exceptional relief.