Enoch Burke back protesting at Wilson's Hospital School
Teacher Enoch Burke is back protesting at Wilson’s Hospital School as the new school years begins.
Mr Burke was released from Mountjoy Prison at the end of June, where he had been incarcerated since the previous September for refusing to stay away from the Co Westmeath private boarding school.
Issuing the order for his release, Mr Justice Mark Sanfey did not require Mr Burke to purge his contempt and agree to comply with the terms of an order made against him last year.
In that previous ruling, Mr Justice Alexander Owens granted the school a permanent injunction restraining Mr Burke from attending the school's grounds.
Mr Justice Sanfey said he hoped that the teacher would use the time to reflect on the situation and warned the teacher that the injunction remains in place.
He said that if there was any further breach of the order, he would have no hesitation in entertaining a fresh application by the school to have Mr Burke committed back to prison.
Garda sources confirmed he had turned up at the school, but said it was a matter for the school authorities to pursue.
In a statement, Garda HQ said: “I refer to your query and confirm this is an ongoing civil matter. An Garda Síochána has no further comment.” Mr Burke was jailed for contempt, for a second time, in September due to his refusal to comply with that order.
Overall, the teacher spent over 400 days in prison.
Mr Burke left the Four Courts with members of his family following the court sitting.
He had appeared before the High Court as part of his bid to set aside what he claims is the "gravely flawed" and "unconstitutional" order made by Mr Justice Owens, which was underpinning his incarceration.
Mr Burke has consistently denied he is in contempt of court, and says he has wrongfully been imprisoned because of his objections to "transgenderism" following a direction by the school to call a then student by a different pronoun.
Mr Burke has argued that in his judgement Mr Justice Owens completely disregarded the teacher's constitutional rights of freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion when he refused to comply with the school's direction to call a then student by a different name and use the pronoun "they".
The Burke family were back in the public eye earlier this week when they complained about An Post delivering their mail in a van celebrating the Pride movement, including the Pride rainbow.
