A former inmate of Limerick Women’s Prison saw her lawsuit regarding an apparent infringement of her rights associated with the practice of “slopping out” over two decades ago, dismissed by the High Court. Ms Justice Siobhán Phelan declared that the case, commenced seven years earlier – around 13 years post the prisoner’s release, violated the statute of limitations, thus needing dismissal.
The judgement, passed upon Frederick Gilligan BL and Remy Farrell SC’s application on behalf of the State, imposed costs on the plaintiff, identified as June Moore from Killala Gardens, Knocknaheeny, Cork City. Ms Justice Phelan opined that judicious administration necessitated preliminary assessment of the proceedings’ current constitution concerning the statute bar, concluding it was purely a legal issue.
Moore served her sentence at the Limerick prison for approximately 13 months spanning February 2002 to March 2004, earning her full release on March 25th, 2004.
She instigated proceedings against the Limerick Prison’s Governor, the Irish Prison Service, the Justice Minister, Ireland and the Attorney General, arguing that the prison’s conditions violated her rights under the Irish Constitution and the European Human Rights Convention. Moore also appealed for a ruling affirming that the slopping out practice and using a pot for toilet purposes in a communal cell space, dishonoured her rights to respect for her private life and dignity, as per the Irish Constitution and the said convention. Her case also demanded compensation.
Moore alleged that she occupied a cell initially designed for one person, crowded with a mattress on the floor and two bunk beds within a minimal space. She was also obliged to use a floor pot as a toilet within the cell accommodating other inmates, which she argued was embarrassing, degrading, and humiliating.
Ms Moore asserted that each morning, upon their release from the cells, she and her fellow prisoners were obliged to empty out their pot. She also expressed that she endured perpetual nausea due to the appalling odours within her cell. The defendants dismissed Ms Moore’s allegations about the unsanitary circumstances of the prison, but did admit to providing her with a chamber pot for sanitation purposes while confined to her cell. Denials were made regarding any hazards posed to the health of Ms Moore or other inmates from either the ambient temperature or the air quality and circulation within the prison premises.