A man who has claimed to have been a founder-member of the INLA was granted leave in the High Court yesterday to challenge the refusal of the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, to grant him early release from prison under the Belfast Agreement.
Henry Doherty told Mr Justice Finnegan he was serving eight years' imprisonment in Portlaoise Prison for offences related to bank robberies and would expect, with remission, to be released on August 8th, 2002. He told the court that although he had dissociated himself from the INLA in 1985 he believed he was entitled to early release under the agreement on the basis that the INLA had declared and was maintaining a ceasefire.
Mr Justice Finnegan gave Doherty leave to seek an order quashing the Minister's decision not to consider him under the terms of the agreement.