Courts / Ireland / Report
Pensioner jailed over judgement debt brings action seeking damages
Summary
A pensioner, whose identity is withheld for legal reasons, was arrested in March and jailed for seven days by the District Court for failing to pay €500 monthly instalments on a €5,000 judgment debt obtained from a law firm in family‑law proceedings. He spent two nights in Mountjoy Prison before being released on bail after his lawyer, Micheal P. O'Higgins SC, applied to the High Court. The man, who has significant health issues and relies solely on his old‑age pension, claims he could not meet the instalments and that the court did not apply required safeguards, such as offering legal aid or proving wilful refusal or culpable neglect. Following his release, the Free Legal Advice Centre filed fresh proceedings on his behalf.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Pensioner jailed over judgement debt brings action seeking damages. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- 2017-05-15 Publication
Case subjects
Applicant
Places mentioned
- High Court
- Mountjoy Prison
Topics
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