An elderly woman who was taken from her home by gardaí after being found in pain and lying in unsanitary conditions, is being lawfully detained in a care facility, a High Court judge has ruled. In a reserved decision, Mr Justice Barton said Mr Justice Kelly had been satisfied the woman was of unsound mind and incapable of managing her property and made her a ward of court. “I am satisfied there is a long line of authority going back to pre-independence days confirming that the jurisdiction to detain someone in wardship is now vested in the High Court,” the judge said. The court had also been told that the woman’s husband had been complicit in seeking to interfere with the woman’s care and treatment. Mr Justice Kelly had earlier made an order restraining both son and father from visiting the woman who had since been changed to a new care facility.

Source: The Irish Times September 07, 2018 19:52 UTC