Legal

Surreal moments during testy trial of effusive, elusive Enoch Burke

From the start, it was clear that the dispute between Wilson’s Hospital School and the teacher was becoming a spectacle the likes of which we rarely see in Irish courts

Enoch Burke, a teacher whose four-day trial in the High Court arose after he allegedly intimidated the then principal of his school by confronting her following a request to address a student who was transitioning by a new name and pronoun. Picture: PA

“Are you finished? Are you finished? Are you finished?” Mr Justice Alex Owens asked in quick succession, but pausing briefly in between to indicate he expected silence to follow.

The air in Court 6 was thick with tension as the observers filling the room stood elbow to elbow, craning their necks to witness what had almost immediately become a row between Enoch Burke and the High Court judge.

“Please, please, Mr Burke, will you please ...