The Dublin colleges branch of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) has described an internal report into how a senior union post was filled as "unsolicited and one-sided".
The report by Mr Brian O'Moore SC into how the union filled the post of education/ research officer broadly exonerated the union's leadership.
The colleges branch said Mr O'Moore acted in a fair and impartial way, but his report was "marred by a number of factors outside his control".
The former holder of the post, Mr Billy Fitzpatrick, was not successful in getting the position and this has generated considerable controversy in the union.
The colleges branch said that of the 55 branches invited to respond to Mr O'Moore's inquiry, only six did so.
A spokeswoman for the branch said: "The general secretary (Mr Jim Dorney) proposed this legal inquiry in late November, at a stage when it was becoming clear that branches around the country were anxious to discuss the education/ research officer appointment issues at special congress. The branches did not consider such an inquiry necessary."
The issue will be debated by delegates to the TUI conference in Bundoran next Tuesday, at a session before the conference.