Cardinal withdraws High Court challenge

A HIGH COURT challenge by Cardinal Desmond Connell over the right of access to documents by a commission of investigation into child abuse in the Dublin archdiocese was dramatically withdrawn yesterday.

The case was before the High Court yesterday when it was expected that a date would be set for the full hearing of the cardinal’s challenge to the Dublin Diocesan Commission of Investigation examining 5,586 documents over which he had claimed legal privilege.

When the case was called, however, Roddy Horan SC, for the cardinal, told Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill that he was withdrawing the application.