The Supreme Court has agreed to give a priority hearing to the appeal by former assistant Dublin city and county manager George Redmond against an order halting his action aimed at overturning corruption findings made against him by the planning tribunal.
Seeking priority yesterday, his lawyer, Angus Buttanshaw, said the matter was urgent on grounds including the fact that his client is aged 88. While in good health at present, Mr Redmond’s age was a factor to be taken into account, counsel said.
Patricia Dillon SC, representing the tribunal, supported the application for a priority hearing and Mr Justice John Murray said he would list the case in the court’s priority list. Mr Redmond is appealing the High Court’s ruling last March halting his civil action against the tribunal aimed at overturning the corruption findings made against him.
Yesterday, Mr Buttanshaw said the case would be made that documents that should have been made available to Mr Redmond were withheld. That had only become apparent from the Supreme Court judgments in the JMSE case in the course of which Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman had described some of material held back as “dynamite”, he said.