Archives recall revolt by Cork lawyers in 1986

The incident was triggered when solicitor Gerard McCarthy continued to make submissions to Judge Desmond Windle on 29 January despite being threatened with contempt of court.

The judge convicted his client, found the solicitor in contempt of court, and sentenced him to seven days in prison.

The ensuing fall-out is recalled in a report sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Eamonn Barnes, by State solicitor Barry St J Galvin and retained in the Attorney General’s records.

The day after Mr McCarthy was sentenced, a large meeting of the Southern Law Association demanded the sentence be rescinded and an apology be furnished to Mr McCarthy.

When the judge refused, Association president John Jermyn led a walk-out of solicitors from the courtroom, which disrupted business.

The DPP advised Mr Galvin to adjourn all his cases and to offer no evidence if forced to run them. Some cases prosecuted by gardaí went ahead against the wishes of the DPP on Judge Windle’s insistence.

The contempt ruling was eventually quashed by the High Court.