An Irish dancing adjudicator who is one of several people suspended over claims that competitions had been "fixed" says that the investigation into the allegations against her is flawed and should be halted.
Amanda Hennigan, who also runs an Irish dancing school in Herfordshire in the UK, has brought High Court proceedings against An Coimisiun Le Rinci Gaelacha (CLRG) the body that regulates Irish dancing.
Dancing contests
She is one of several individuals involved in the adjudication of Irish dancing contests who have been suspended over allegations of gross misconduct that competitions in Ireland the UK and the US, were fixed in favour of certain competitors.
She denies any wrongdoing, and claims that the CLRG's investigation into the complaints against her has been flawed and prejudged from the start.
In her proceedings against the CLRG she seeks various orders including one halting the disciplinary proceedings against her, and an injunction lifting her suspension from adjudicating until her High Court action has been determined.
Her application is believed to be the first of several similar actions being contemplated by against the CLRG by other persons who are currently suspended by that organisation.
Earlier this year Ms Hennigan was suspended by the CLRG arising out of the publication of a series of documents allegedly containing complaints that had been made to the CLRG.
Those documents were published online by an unnamed person, it is claimed.
Investigation
The allegations are now the subject of an investigation being conducted by a retired senior Judge Mr Justice Michael Peart.
At the High Court her counsel Gerard Meehan SC, with Michael O'Doherty Bl, instructed by solicitor Niall Colgan, said that his client makes no complaint against Mr Justice Peart, but is critical of the CLRG's handing of the matter.
She claims the CLRG decision to investigate and suspend her is flawed on several grounds including it decided to investigate the complaints without interviewing her, and without providing her with any of the details about the specific allegations against her.
She also claims that the material, including the documents outlining the complaints against her and others that was published online, was defamatory of her and the CLRG should have taken steps to have it taken down.
Its failure to take any steps in relation to the material that identified her as a subject of an official complaint is prohibited in the CLGR's own procedures.
She was not provided with a copy of the CLRG own investigation report, she also claims.
Complaints
She also claims that the CLRG has not properly taken the motivation of the person who has made the complaint against her or the others into account.
She claims that the CLRG had been aware of the identities of the persons against whom complaints had been made. Despite that awareness it failed to contract her about the complaints for some months, she alleges.
This she says was in breach of its own disciplinary procedures and breaches her right to fair procedures and natural justice.
She claims her only income is from Irish dancing and since being notified of her suspension she has been contacted by the parents of dancers who she fears may move to another school.
As things stand, she claims is not able to adjudicate from running her own dance school's Feis, which is due to take place next month.
She claims that the allegations have resulted in "a presumption of guilt" over her, which has damaged her health, and her relationship with other family members involved in her school.
The matter came before Mr Justice Brian O'Moore, who granted permission, on an ex-parte basis, to serve short notice of the injunction proceedings on the CLRG.
The judge made the matter returnable to a date in January, when the new legal term commences.
