High Court to hear Pearse Doherty’s challenge against the Referendum Commission

An urgent High Court challenge by Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty against the Refrendum Commission is to be heard later this evening.
The court has adjourned proceedings until 8 o’clock tonight to allow the Commission notice of the case.
The Donegal South West TD wants the court to review the Commission’s alleged assertion that the opportunity for a veto on the European Stability Mechanism was now gone.
Pearse Doherty’s challenge arises from a statement by Referendum Commission Chairperson Mr Justice Kevin Feeney at a press conference on May 3rd to the effect that Ireland had already agreed to the establishment of the ESM.
The Sinn Fein TD claims this is a misleading statement on Ireland’s position and one that attracted a good deal of media attention.
He says a more accurate statement on the veto appeared buried on the Commission’s website on May 18 along with a link on the commission’s twitter feed which has 245 followers.
Mr Doherty alleges the Referendum Commission has failed in its duty because it did not go to the same lengths to draw public attention to the later statement and this it’s argued tends to work in favour of the Yes rather than the No side.