Two women who challenged their prosecution over their alleged refusal to quarantine in a hotel after they returned from Dubai during the Covid-19 pandemic, have lost their Supreme Court appeal on the issue.
27-year-old Niamh Mulreany, from Scarlett Row, Essex Street West, and 32-year-old Kirstie McGrath, of St Anthony’s Road in Rialto, had appealed against the High Court’s dismissal of their challenge to their prosecutions.
The Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s decision, describing the arguments made by the women as “wafer-thin”.
Ms Mulreany and Ms McGrath were arrested at Dublin Airport on 2 April 2021 after they returned from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Passengers arriving from designated countries at the time were required to undergo mandatory quarantine at a hotel for up to a fortnight.
The women refused to go to the hotel, claiming they could not afford the cost and they had to get back to their children.
They spent a night in prison, after which they were released on bail and subsequently completed the quarantine period.
They were charged with breaches of the legislation brought in to stop the spread of Covid-19. If convicted they could face a period of imprisonment or a fine of up to €2,000.
They took judicial review proceedings to stop their prosecutions.
They had challenged procedures under which states were designated for mandatory quarantine as well as the legality of the mechanism for “reviewing” continued quarantine.
However, giving the judgment on behalf of the five Supreme Court judges, Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly said the arguments on their behalf were “wafer-thin” and rejected their appeals.
