The Four Courts in Dublin. Irish Catholic businessman Declan Ganley received confirmation that the State has until January 22 to deliver their opposition to his constitutional challenge to restrictions on religious worship.
Once the High Court receives the State’s opposition they will set a date for the judicial review, which Mr Ganley expects to be in early February.
Mr Ganley said that it was as he expected and assumes the Government is intending to defend the constitutionality of the ban.
“It was procedural stuff today, but the State are defending it. That’s quite noteworthy,” Mr Ganley explained. “They presumably are arguing that they have the right to do this ban, that it’s not against the constitution.”
Mr Ganley added that he was confident his case would succeed, as “the constitution is on my side”, but that “you can never predict what will happen when you get into court”.
Writing in The Irish Catholic, Mr Ganley explained the rationale behind his case, saying the ban is unconstitutional.
“Under the Constitution, it should have been left to the sole discretion of churches and other religious groups,” he wrote.