hearing on Burke's appeal against his dismissal being temporarily halted due to injunction granted by Enoch Burke
In a significant turn of events, teacher Enoch Burke has successfully obtained an injunction to halt the disciplinary panel hearing his appeal against dismissal. This injunction, granted on July 25, 2025, has temporarily stopped the appeal process [1][2].
The crux of the issue revolves around the composition of the appeals panel, specifically the involvement of a member, Kieran Christie. Burke's legal challenge argued that the presence of Christie on the panel compromised the fairness of the appeal, leading to the court blocking the panel from proceeding [1][2]. This decision underscores the legal principle that an individual is entitled to a fair hearing, a principle Burke's side contends was not guaranteed due to questions about the panel's impartiality [3].
The Court of Appeal judge has rejected Mr Burke's suggestion that if his objection to Mr. Christie is well-founded, the objection must similarly be well-founded in relation to any other person nominated by the ASTI. However, the court has stated that while it is normal for the loser in a case to pay the winner's costs, the court is "not in normal territory" in this case [4].
The dispute between Mr Burke and school management arose when he publicly clashed with the principal over using "they" instead of "he" to refer to a child. This dispute led to Burke's dismissal in 2023, after which he initially sought an appeal through the normal employment process but later brought a High Court challenge [5]. During this initial High Court challenge, Burke argued that Mr Christie was an "activist for transgenderism" within the ASTI and was personally or objectively biased [6].
Ms Justice Faherty, for the Court of Appeal, has stated that Mr. Christie's role in the ASTI, which has advised schools to use a transitioning student's preferred choice of pronoun, would be influential to the reasonable independent observer [7].
It is important to note that Mr Burke spent over 500 days in prison for disobeying High Court orders related to his employment at Wilson's Hospital School. He was also subjected to daily fines for every time he turned up at the school [8].
The appeals panel opposed Mr Burke's appeal in the Court of Appeal, but with reluctance, the court granted an injunction to Mr Burke restraining the appeals panel from hearing his case [9]. The court has also made orders permitting the seizure of money to pay the fines from Mr. Burke's school salary bank account pending the Court of Appeal decision [10].
This injunction marks a significant development in the ongoing dispute between Mr Burke and school management. The court's decision underscores the importance of fairness and impartiality in legal proceedings, and the potential consequences of perceived bias in such proceedings.
Sources:
[1] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/enoch-burke-wins-injunction-to-halt-his-appeal-hearing-1.47373634 [2] https://www.rte.ie/news/2025/0725/1171310-enoch-burke-appeal/ [3] https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/burke-case-shows-the-need-for-an-independent-schools-regulator-1.47373687 [4] https://www.rte.ie/news/2025/0726/1171460-burke-case-costs/ [5] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/burke-loses-high-court-appeal-over-dismissal-from-wilsons-hospital-school-1.47373634 [6] https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/1220/1168176-burke-high-court-appeal/ [7] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/enoch-burke-wins-injunction-to-halt-his-appeal-hearing-1.47373634 [8] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/enoch-burke-wins-injunction-to-halt-his-appeal-hearing-1.47373634 [9] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/enoch-burke-wins-injunction-to-halt-his-appeal-hearing-1.47373634 [10] https://www.rte.ie/news/2025/0725/1171310-enoch-burke-appeal/
The injunction granted to teacher Enoch Burke temporarily halted his appeal hearing against dismissal, highlighting the importance of fairness and impartiality in legal proceedings. This decision comes amidst allegations of bias within the appeals panel, with concerns raised about the involvement of Kieran Christie, who is perceived to have a strong stance on education and self-development issues such as transgenderism. In regards to politics, the ongoing dispute between Burke and school management illuminates the complexities and potential ramifications of such disagreements, particularly in a general news context.
