Late judge criticises handling of Mr A case in posthumous letters

The Supreme Court's handling of last year's statutory rape controversy is criticised in letters left behind by a deceased High Court judge.

In his posthumous criticism, Mr Justice Sean O'Leary accuses members of the Supreme Court of attempting to curry favour with the media during the controversy.

Mr Justice O'Leary, who died just before Christmas, says an example of this was the court's decision to order the re-arrest of a man known only as Mr A who was jailed after admitting raping a 12-year-old girl.

Mr A had been freed by the High Court on foot of the Supreme Court's ruling that Ireland's statutory rape laws were unconstitutional.

Mr Justice O'Leary is accusing the Supreme Court of ordering his re-arrest for an offence that did not exist at the time of his conviction in order to curry favour with a potentially hostile media at a time of widespread public outcry.