“A working democracy must have in place effective mechanisms for holding the Executive to account…”

As the BBC reports, the Northern Ireland Appeal Court has delivered, “with regret”, its judgement on the NI Department of Education’s appeal of the “abuse of power” ruling that followed a judicial review of the then-minister Sinn Féin’s Caitríona Ruane’s refusal to provide funding for Loreto Grammar School’s planned new-build on its existing site in Omagh. As the BBC report notes In ruling the court said: “The representations and actions by the Department of Education and the minister of education did not give rise to a …

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DENI appeal “abuse of power” ruling

The BBC report that the Northern Ireland Department of Education, including presumably the NI Education Minister Sinn Féin’s Caitriona Ruane, have lodged an official appeal against the “abuse of power” ruling that followed a judicial review of the minister’s refusal to provide funding for Loreto Grammar School’s planned new-build on its existing site in Omagh. From the BBC report Loreto Grammar School in Omagh was promised new premises by a previous education minister in 2004. However, this decision was reversed by Catriona Ruane. The …

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