The mother of Baby A in the controversial crisis pregnancy counselling case has been joined by the High Court as a notice party to proceedings by the Aadams Agency to attach and commit to prison for alleged contempt of court officials of the Independent Newspapers Group and to sequestrate the company's assets.
Mr John Phelan SC, counsel for the mother, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told Mr Justice Smith yesterday that he wished his client to be joined primarily so that her "true interests" might be protected.
Mr Phelan said the application to cite Independent Newspapers for alleged contempt had initially been brought by Dr Michael Forde SC, counsel for the Aadams Agency, purportedly to protect the interests of the mother of Baby A.
Mr Phelan said: "We are concerned that she should not become a shuttlecock in proceedings peripheral to the substantive case which was before the court." Dr Forde had initially told the High Court his clients wished to attach and commit to prison the Irish Independent editor, Mr Vincent Doyle, along with the newspaper's health correspondent, Ms Eilish O'Regan, and the group's chief executive, Mr Liam Healy.
He described the Irish Independent's publication of the names of the adoption agency and two of its principals as "a blatant breach" of the order of Ms Justice Laffoy banning publication of any information tending to identify Baby A or Baby B or their mothers.
The High Court, by order of Ms Justice McGuinness, subsequently granted the media leave to publish the name of the agency, with restrictions remaining on any information which might identify the babies or their mothers.
In a private vacation sitting of the High Court, Ms Justice Laffoy had ordered the two principals of the adoption agency to return Baby A to the care of the Eastern Health Board.
Dr Forde and Mr Felix McEnroy SC, counsel for the board, told Mr Justice Smith their clients had no objection to Mr Phelan's application.
Mr McEnroy said the board accepted that the mother of Baby A would be a materially interested party to the contempt proceedings.
Mr Phelan said Independent Newspapers had not been notified of his application, but he felt it would in no way be prejudiced by his client being joined to the proceedings.