Judge ‘erred’ by quashing ruling in Traveller discrimination case

A CIRCUIT Court judge “erred in law” by quashing an Equality Tribunal ruling that a secondary school indirectly discriminated against Travellers by not admitting a 13-year-old Traveller boy as a student, the High Court heard yesterday.

In July Circuit Court judge Tom Teehan allowed an appeal by the CBS High School in Clonmel against the decision of the Equality Tribunal that it should offer John Stokes a place and review its admission policy.

John, through his mother Mary, appealed that ruling to the High Court on grounds including the school breached the Equal Status Act by not admitting him and the Circuit Court judge erred by holding that the Co Tipperary school’s admission policy could be justified.