Hain contempt of court case ends

A contempt of court case taken against Labour MP Peter Hain over his criticism of a judge in Northern Ireland will not proceed, the High Court in Belfast ruled yesterday.

Controversial comments in the former Northern Ireland secretary’s autobiography, criticising a ruling, sparked the legal action by NI attorney general John Larkin QC.

A compromise was struck with a lawyer for Mr Hain. Mr Hain faced a charge of “scandalising a judge” by criticising Lord Justice Paul Girvan’s handling of a judicial review of Mr Hain’s decision to appoint police widow Bertha McDougall as an interim victims’ commissioner. Mr Hain argued: “I simply disagreed with, and was exasperated by, the way he dealt with a particular case.”