Woman wins appeal over Credit Union loan

An unemployed mother of two has won her constitutional challenge against a one-month jail sentence imposed on her due to inability to pay arrears on a Credit Union loan

In proceedings regarded as an important test case the High Court held that a 2005 District Court order jailing Caroline McCann, Mullaghmatt, Co Monaghan over failure to pay a series of instalments of €82 per week to meet a judgment of €18,000 secured by Monaghan Credit Union in 2003 was unconstitutional.