A date in February has been set for Enoch Burke’s appeal against a court order preventing him from going to or teaching at his school in County Westmeath.
The jailed teacher and his mother were both removed from the courtroom during a case management hearing before the Court of Appeal this morning.
Mr Burke was sent to prison last month for breaching an injunction not to attend or attempt to teach any classes at the school, pending the outcome of an investigation into alleged misconduct.
Enoch Burke’s mother, Martina Burke, has just been removed from the Court of Appeal. After the judge told her son he couldn’t grant him a hearing sooner than Feb 16, Ms Burke accused the court of being “corrupt”. The judge rose to allow for her removal from the courtroom.
— Frank Greaney (@FrankGreaney) October 14, 2022
Enoch Burke now back in courtroom. He doesn’t accept that judge can’t arrange for a special hearing of his appeal. He tells judge, “you shouldn’t be in that chair”.
— Frank Greaney (@FrankGreaney) October 14, 2022
The case centres around his refusal to address a gender-transitioning student by a different name and with the pronoun 'they'.
He has said it is against his religious beliefs and claims he is being denied his constitutional rights.
This morning, he asked for an “urgent” appeal hearing, and while Mr Justice John Edwards accepted there was a “moderate” urgency to his case, he told Enoch that the earliest date he could give him was in February.
At that point, Mr Burke’s mother, Martina, could be heard saying, “that is ridiculous” before accusing the court of being corrupt.
She was removed from the courtroom.
File photo of schoolteacher Enoch Burke's brother Isaac (left) and sister Ammi (right) Enoch Burke's brother Isaac (left) and sister Ammi (right), 14-09-2022. Image: PA Images / AlamyJudge tells Enoch sister’s, Amii Burke, to be quiet. She interrupted proceedings by declaring “it’s a disgrace”. She’s a solicitor but when asked, she confirmed she’s not on record. Judge tells her she has no right of audience and asks, “as an officer of the court, how dare you?”
— Frank Greaney (@FrankGreaney) October 14, 2022
Judge asks Amii Burke for an apology for her conduct.
— Frank Greaney (@FrankGreaney) October 14, 2022
The judge later asked Enoch’s sister, Amii, for an apology after she spoke out of turn.
Mr Burke himself was also briefly removed at one point. He accused Mr Justice Edwards of colluding with other judges.
When he was brought back, the judge set down Feb 16th as the hearing date before bringing proceedings to an end.
