Leaving Cert grades challenge case adjourned

The case is expected to impact several other challenges taken over the grade standardisation process.

The student claims standardisation unfairly downgraded his grade from 542 points to 487, causing him to miss his course. File Picture.

The lead High Court challenge over the standardisation of 2020 Leaving Cert grades has been adjourned.

The outcome of the case by Freddy Sherry, a student at Dublin's Belvedere College, is expected to impact on several other challenges over the standardisation process.

The case had been due to commence this morning, however Mr Justice Charles Meenan was told the case was not ready to proceed as an issue concerning the discovery of documents by the State has arisen.

As a result, Mr Sherry's case has been adjourned and will be mentioned before the court early next week.

All of the other challenges have been adjourned to a date next month to await the outcome of Mr Sherry's action.

In his action, Mr Sherry, of Newtown, Celbridge, Co Kildare, represented by Micheál P O’Higgins SC, Feichin McDonagh SC and Brendan Hennessy BL, instructed by Ferry Solicitors, claims a decision by the Minister for Education last August “interfered” with the work of the Independent Steering Committee on Calculated Grades.

He claims the minister’s direction not to rely on previous school data or schools' historic records in the standardisation process lead to him being unfairly downgraded by 55 points in his Leaving Cert this year.

He was “hugely disappointed” that his teachers’ estimated CAO points total of 542 for him was reduced to 487 under the process, his first course choice was pharmacy in TCD and he may now have to sit the Leaving Cert exam in November.

The application is opposed by the minister.