FF councillor warns he will go to High Court

[David Cochrane]

• A Fianna Fáil councillor will be "invoking the powers of the High Court" against the party if it fails to ratify his selection as a general election candidate.
  
  Cllr Mattie McGrath, of Tipperary County Council, headed the poll at Fianna Fáil's selection convention for Tipperary South ahead of Senator Martin Mansergh and Cllr Siobhán Ambrose.
  
  All three were selected to run in the three-seat constituency where sitting Fianna Fáil TD Noel Davern is retiring. But last week's meeting of the Fianna Fáil national constituency committee failed to ratify the candidacy of Cllr McGrath despite ratifying all other candidates selected for the general election.
  
  The party has requested an explanation of the circumstances which led to Cllr McGrath (and six other people) appearing at Clonmel District Court last month on public order offences. They were charged following an incident in Cllr McGrath's home village of Newcastle, near Clonmel, in August last year and will appear in court again on May 8th.

- Irish Times

[KingKane]

It would seem to me that deselection could potentially prejudice his court case. Oddly enough we have the courts postponing a case involving FF's Michael Collins TD for bogus non-resident bank accounts in case it might interfere with his nephew's electoral chances and now the opposite FF deselecting someone who has yet to go to court and potentially prejudicing his court date.

[rockofcashel]

I dont get this at all..

How could de-selection predjudice the court case ? Are people suggesting that a judge might take into account the machinations of the FF selection committee when adjudicating on a case ?

The case is being heard in the Circuit Court, and therefore in front of a jury. The jury will be made up of people from Tipperary. There is as much chance of the jury being influenced by the reporting done on the case as it stands, or even their political allegiances, as there is of them being influenced by the decision of Cowens committee. Remember, the jury will hear as much, if not more than Cowen or Dorgan will.

I feel sorry for Mattie, as I've said on the other thread, and believe that he was/is being treated very shabbily, but to say that the courts will be prejudiced is nonsense.

In my opinion, he'll do better as an Indo than he would have done anyways, he should really have cut loose the minute the story broke however.

[CrockerJarman]

Does Mattie have the bal*s to go to the High Court, though?

Thats the real six-marker.

I would say that the thoughts of the most intimate workings of the FF National Constituencies (pardon me if I got the name wrong) Committee being trashed out in open court and being the subject of a JR application would be enough for Brian Cowen to be reaching for the Andrews (Liver Salts).

[culbair]

Mattie is unlikely to run as an independent if he is deselected. He is a loyal party man.

[KingKane]

Mattie is unlikely to run as an independent if he is deselected. He is a loyal party man.

Sure FF are happy enough to endorse and selected former independent councillors as candidates over and above their own councillors I don't see why one of their own shouldn't go the opposite way.

[Salthill]

Can't imagine the HC deciding that an independent organisation has no right to decide who runs for it in an election. A serious case of bluff and bluster from the Cllr.

[DOD]

I have two words for this guy. Tough sh1t. FF do this kind of stuff all the time. Get over it. Run as an independent if you are not happy.

[doodles]

I don't think it is simply because he wasn't ratified I think it is more about the reason. Fianna Fail have said that there is no problem with Mc Grath's canditature apart from his pending court case. however Mc Grath has stated that if they drop him on the grounds of a pending court case it is automatically suggesting that he is guilty of something, therefore influencing the jury.

Fianna Fail cannot act as a judge and jury and I think that is what Mc Grath is stating. If there wasn't a court case involved there would be no question of HC because of non- ratification.

[cyberianpan]

So FF drop you over pending court cases: why wasn't Bertie sin-binned then until Mahon was over?

cYp