THE State should be made responsible for the failure of the Attorney General to process speedily extradition warrants in 1993, it was claimed on behalf of a 25-year-old victim of sexual abuse in the High Court yesterday.
The State is resisting a claim for damages brought on behalf of the woman who alleges she was a victim of sexual abuse by paedophile priest, Brendan Smyth.
The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Costello, has been asked to decide a preliminary issue on whether the Attorney General had a duty to process speedily warrants issued by the RUC for Smyth's extradition to the North from the Republic.
The handling by the Attorney General's office of the extradition application provoked a political storm in November 1993
Mr Gerard Hogan BL, for the woman, said the State should be made responsible for the Attorney General's failure.
The woman has alleged in a statement of claim that between 1982 and 1987 she was sexually abused by Smyth who was living in the State when the extradition requests were made in April 1993.
Smyth, according to the statement, wad convicted at Belfast Crown Court on June 20th, 1994 on 17 charges of sexual abuse.
Mr Justice Costello reserved judgment.