McMORROW v. IRELAND
Doc ref: 16500/90 • ECHR ID: 001-736
Document date: September 4, 1990
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AS TO THE ADMISSIBILITY OF
Application No. 16500/90
by Mary Cecilia McMORROW
against Ireland
The European Commission of Human Rights sitting in private on
4 September 1990, the following members being present:
MM. C.A. NØRGAARD, President
J.A. FROWEIN
S. TRECHSEL
G. SPERDUTI
E. BUSUTTIL
G. JÖRUNDSSON
A.S. GÖZÜBÜYÜK
A. WEITZEL
J.C. SOYER
H.G. SCHERMERS
H. DANELIUS
Mrs. G.H. THUNE
Sir Basil HALL
MM. F. MARTINEZ
C.L. ROZAKIS
Mrs. J. LIDDY
MM. L. LOUCAIDES
J.C. GEUS
A.V. ALMEIDA RIBEIRO
Mr. H.C. KRÜGER, Secretary to the Commission
Having regard to Article 25 of the Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms;
Having regard to the application introduced on 26 February 1990
by Mary Cecilia McMORROW against Ireland and registered on 24 April
1990 under file No. 16500/90;
Having regard to the report provided for in Rule 40 of the
Rules of Procedure of the Commission;
Having deliberated;
Decides as follows:
The applicant is an Irish citizen born in 1930. She is a
dental surgeon by profession.
The applicant first complains that in civil proceedings
against her before the Circuit Court on 14 July 1983 the trial judge
removed the public from the court. She also complains of the decision
of the High Court, dated 11 October 1983, which upheld the finding
against her by the Circuit Court in these proceedings. Further, the
applicant complains that she was imprisoned for a day and a night on
16 September 1986 for her refusal to pay an £18 fine imposed on her by
a District Court for failure to pay a car tax. However the Commission
cannot deal with these aspects of the case as the applicant has failed
to observe the six months' rule laid down in Article 26 of the
Convention, the application to the Commission only having been
effectively lodged on 26 February 1990.
Finally, the applicant alleges that she was imprisoned from
29 April to 19 May 1989 following a decision of the District Court on
7 December 1988 ordering her imprisonment for failure to comply with a
previous District Court Order of 20 April 1983 ordering her to pay
£1,035 towards her debts. However, again the Commission cannot deal
with this aspect of the case because the applicant has failed to
observe the requirements of Article 26 of the Convention, in this
instance the requirement to exhaust domestic remedies. There is no
evidence in the case-file that she made any challenge against the
lawfulness of her imprisonment. Furthermore, if she had no effective
remedy at her disposal, she has failed to observe the six months' rule
laid down in Article 26 of the Convention, her detention having
apparently ended on 19 May 1989, whereas the complaint was not raised
with the Commission until 7 April 1990 in her application form.
In these circumstances the whole application must be rejected
pursuant to Article 27 para. 3 of the Convention.
For these reasons, the Commission
DECLARES THE APPLICATION INADMISSIBLE.
Secretary to the Commission President of the Commission
(H.C. KRÜGER) (C.A. NØRGAARD)
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