§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what ruling was provided by the Northern Ireland High Court in response to his application166W for judicial review of decisions taken by the Northern Ireland Sentence Review Commission; if he will place a copy of the court ruling in the Library; and what is his estimate of costs incurred in this legal action. [87157]
§ Mr. George HowarthA copy of the ruling of 23 March 1999 of the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland in the matter of an application by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department for judicial review of four determinations made by the Northern Ireland Sentence Review Commissioners has been placed in the Library.
The legal costs incurred by the Secretary of State in these proceedings are estimated to be £5,000. The Secretary of State was also ordered to pay the costs of the applicants. These have yet to be finally determined. I will write to my hon. Friend when this information is available.