Courts Service Denies Judge’s Quote on Presidential Nominations

URGENT UPDATE: The Courts Service has swiftly denied claims circulating on social media that High Court Judge Mark Heslin stated the use of party whips to nominate presidential candidates violates the Constitution. This clarification comes in response to widespread reports claiming the judge made these comments during a case involving Cora Stack, an academic contesting her exclusion from the upcoming presidential election.

The allegations gained traction after Stack brought a legal challenge against several State bodies and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, arguing that the nomination process unlawfully bars independent candidates. The hearing took place on October 10, 2023, where Judge Heslin reportedly critiqued the party whip system that Harris employed to limit nominations.

In a statement addressing the situation, a spokesperson for the Courts Service clarified, “The quote on social media attributed to Judge Heslin is entirely wrong. Those words were never spoken by the judge in this case.” This refutation is crucial, as numerous posts claiming the judge’s comments have been viewed tens of thousands of times across platforms, including Meta and X.

The contested quote, which suggested that the party whip cannot be used in presidential selection processes, originated from a Facebook post by Walter Ryan Purcell, a businessman from Cork who also sought a nomination. Purcell claimed he attended the hearing and interpreted the judge’s inquiries as critical of the whip system.

However, legal experts highlight that judges routinely pose questions during proceedings without making formal declarations. The attention surrounding this case underscores the intense scrutiny of the nomination process as the presidential election approaches on October 13, 2023.

Critically, Cora Stack is awaiting a judgment set to be delivered next Thursday, just one day before the election, intensifying the urgency of this legal battle. As developments unfold, the implications for independent candidates and the broader electoral process remain significant.

Stay tuned for updates on this developing story as it impacts the upcoming election and the discourse surrounding candidate nominations in Ireland.