Love, Ulster Redux again?

Joanne Lowry, in the Newsletter, reports that Belfast City Council will tonight consider whether to ratify a committee decision to challenge the Court of Appeal verdict, on the rejection by the council of licence applications from adult-orientated shops as noted previously, in the House of Lords – the Appeal Court verdict would cost rate-payers in Belfast £100,000. The director of legal services for the council, Ciaran Quigley, is reported to have urged council members to appeal the decision, following the legal opinion, he sought, from Richard Gordon QC.The Newsleter quotes a report by the director of legal services to the council, Ciaran Quigley –

A report to members states: “It is Mr Gordon’s view that the House of Lords is likely to grant leave to appeal even if this is refused by the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland.”

It continued: “The decision of the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal has potentially very serious adverse consequences for the administration of local Government and indeed for public administration as a whole.”

Hmm… Perhaps the quotes on Richard Gordon on the Brick Court Chambers website are worth noting, this in relation to his work on human rights law, which the Newsletter reports he is a leading expert in, although the legal opinion given may be based more on Public and Administrative Law –

“excellent,” “knowledgable and creative” (2004)

“extreme dedication,” “willingness to be imaginative and try different points” (2003)

Hmm..