Alan Shatter’s rights breached, court rules

Former justice minister Alan Shatter has won his appeal against the High Court’s dismissal of his challenge to parts of the Guerin report concerning his handling of complaints by whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe.

The three-judge Court of Appeal unanimously ruled Mr Shatter’s rights to natural justice and fair procedures were breached as a result of the procedure adopted by senior counsel Seán Guerin when compiling his May 2014 report examining Garda investigations of Sgt McCabe’s complaints alleging Garda misconduct.

The president of the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Sean Ryan, said Mr Shatter’s constitutional rights were “in jeopardy” by reason of Mr Guerin’s proposed adverse conclusions concerning Mr Shatter’s handling of the McCabe complaints.