December 02, 2005

Former nun in ‘miscarriage of justice’ hearing

IRELAND
Waterford News & Star

By Jennifer Long

FORMER nun Nora Wall is to apply to the Court of Criminal Appeal this Thursday for a certificate declaring she was the victim of a miscarriage of justice in relation to her conviction for rape six years ago.

If the certificate is approved, it will pave the way for the former Cappoquinbased ex-Mercy sister to sue the State in relation to the incident.

Nora Wall sensationally became the first woman in the history of the State to be found guilty of rape and the first person generally to receive a life sentence for the offence.

However, after just four days the convictions was quashed when it emerged that a key prosecution witness had given evidence despite clear instruction from the Director of Public Prosecutions that she did not do so. A number of other errors also emerged. The DPP did not seek a retrial.

Posted by kshaw at December 2, 2005 08:42 AM