‘I cannot abandon my people. I have to stand with them’

SOCIALIST Party TD Joe Higgins and his party colleague Councillor Clare Daly were sent to jail for a month each yesterday for contempt of the High Court arising out of anti-bin tax protests.

Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill told them they had put their political campaign above the fundamental obligation of every citizen to comply with the law and, in doing so, had struck at the very heart of democratic order.

He said it was quite clear that both intended to continue to breach court orders and what they were doing was a calculated contempt of the law and the authority of the court.