Attempt to block Garda commissioner appointment rejected
A legal challenge to stop Drew Harris being appointed commissioner of An Garda Siochána has been dismissed in court.
Ciaran MacAirt, the grandson of a woman killed in a 1971 loyalist bombing, lodged a case against the former Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) deputy chief constable, claiming his senior role in UK policing would prevent him from properly fulfilling his duties as commissioner.
However, on Wednesday (August 22), Mr Justice Denis McDonald found the case has not reached the legal threshold to appear before Dublin’s High Court.
The appeal has now been dismissed and Mr Harris will be able to take up his new role on September 3.
He was announced as the first Garda Commissioner from outside the Republic of Ireland in June.
Mr MacAirt had claimed that Mr Harris’ history in the PSNI and its predecessor, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), would have made it impossible for him to fulfil the requirements of the role.
He alleged that Mr Harris had signed the UK Government’s Official Secrets Act, adding that this would prevent him from carrying out responsibilities around state security and crime investigation.
Mr Harris held responsibility for the PSNI’s Historical Enquiries Team, which investigated the blast and produced four reports that were rejected by victims as they did not address alleged collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and the RUC.
Mr MacAirt has now indicated his intention to discuss the outcome with other victims before deciding on his next move.