Six dissident Republicans released from prison

Six dissident Republicans who were serving lengthy prison sentences for bombing offences in Britain have been released from Portlaoise Prison, the High Court has been informed.

The six are brothers Aiden, 37, and Robert, 34, Hulme; Darren Mulholland, 34; James McCormack, 47; Anthony Hyland, 41; and Liam Grogan, 36, who claimed they were entitled to immediate release due to significant differences between the sentencing systems in Ireland and Britain contained in a recent Supreme Court judgment.

The six were convicted and jailed for 20 years or more by the British courts in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They were transferred back to Ireland to serve out the remainder of their sentences. They were not entitled to early release under the Good Friday Agreement due to their to links to dissident republicanism. They had release dates varying from September of this year to early 2016.

The six applied to the High Court for inquiries, under Articles 40.4.2 of the Irish Constitution, into the legality of their continued detention, which they argued was unlawful.

In what were seen as test cases, inquiries sought by Liam Grogan and Darren Mulholland came before Mr Justice Gerard Hogan.

It was argued that both men had fully served the sentence imposed on them in England, and their continued detention was unlawful. They also claimed that, had the standard Irish remission rates of 25% been applied, they would have been due for release some time ago. The State did not contest the applications.

After being informed of the facts of the case, the judge made declarations that their detention was unconstitutional and ordered their immediate release.

Applications for inquires brought by the remaining four applicants were adjourned. When the matter returned before Mr Justice Hogan the court was informed that the Hulme brothers, Mr McCormack, and Mr Hyland were released and the application for an inquiry was moot.