The Enoch Burke Saga Continues

Legal Editor Zara Stafford

Credits: Gerry Mooney for the Irish Independent

Enoch Burke has been imprisoned again by the High Court after not following court order. The secondary school teacher has previously been imprisoned twice after refusing to follow a legal order to stay away from his previous place of employment.

Burke was fired from Wilson’s Hospital School in County Westmeath in January 2023. His employment was terminated after a dispute arose surrounding the use of “they/them” pronouns for a student. Despite misreporting, Burke was not terminated for his refusal to use the student’s preferred pronouns but rather due to an ensuing spat with school management.

In the original High Court case (The Board of Management of Wilson’s Hospital School -v- Burke ([2023] IECA 133), Burke had contested his dismissal. The court ruled in favour of Wilson’s Hospital School and ordered Burke to not return to the premises. 

Burke appealed the injunction to the Court of Appeal; this did not succeed. He was imprisoned again after returning to the school.

After being released from prison, on October 11th, Burke was sent back to Mountjoy Prison. Judge David Nolan told Burke he was not arrested for his religious beliefs but rather for his refusal to abide by court orders. Burke however continues his plea that he was dismissed due to his ‘religious belief.’ In previous instances at the school, he had interrupted a religious ceremony to preach anti-LGTQI+ beliefs.

He continues to return to the school claiming his right to “work there”. Burke has stated his Constitutional rights to Freedom of Religious Belief and Right to Expression are not being fulfilled.

While in prison, his family is continuing to advocate on his behalf. This has included running his social media channels and approaching various figures, such as TDs and judges in the Irish courts.  Furthermore, Burke’s family has often been removed from court for interrupting court proceedings and accusing the judge of corruption.

It seems apparent that he is not willing to back down from his case. Burke stated that he would rather stay in prison “every hour of every day for the next 100 years” than comply with the injunction to stay away from the school.

Judge David Nolan in the most recent High Court proceeding has put Enoch Burke’s case up for review on December 20th. While Burke has already attempted to take his case for review to the European Parliament, only time will tell what other legal remedies Burke will target on his quest for ‘justice.’