Corey loses appeal against ‘stay of release’

Last week a judge had ruled his human rights were being breached and ordered his release on unconditional bail. The Secretary of State Owen Paterson blocked this move,.

The appeal against that stay of release was heard on July 11, with Justice McCloskey and Justice Morgan on the bench.

They upheld the Secretary of State’s stay of release, overruling Justice Tracy‘s decision, and referred the case to be heard again on September 28.

Martin Corey wasn’t present at the hearing but contacted a friend from Maghaberry prison 20 minutes after it had ended. He was not surprised at the decision, in his words “He expects little, and has learned to accept less.”

On Monday he won a legal challenge against being returned to prison and a High Court judge ruled Corey, from Lurgan, should be freed on unconditional bail.

However, Corey’s release was put on hold as Secretary of State Owen Paterson challenged the decision.

His licence was revoked in 2010 over alleged involvement with dissident republicans.

Corey’s case against that move centred on the alleged secrecy surrounding the basis upon which he was sent back to jail. His lawyers argued that he was given insufficient understanding of the undisclosed reasons for the decision.

In August last year the Parole Commissioners decided that the revocation of his licence should remain in force.

On Monday, Mr Justice Treacy ruled that the commissioners had breached his human rights in refusing to release him.

The judge said the commissioners should reconsider the matter and directed that, in the meantime, Corey should be released on unconditional bail.

The Secretary of State Owen Paterson blocked that move.

More on this story in next week’s print edition of the ‘MAIL’.