An attempt by a Cork man to have all four women candidates restrained from contesting the presidential election was rejected by the High Court yesterday. Mr James Howe, of Glenamoy Lawn, Mayfield, claimed the Constitution did not provide for a woman to run for the office of President and sought an interim injunction against the State to temporarily restrain the four women from standing. Making the application without legal representation, he claimed that Article 12 of the Constitution, which deals with the office of President, refers only to "he", "his" and "him". There was no mention of the words "she", "hers" or "women" and this meant women could not stand for the position, he claimed.
Mr Justice Costello, President of the High Court, disagreed with Mr Howe's interpretation of Article 12, saying there was no substance to his claim.
After the judge delivered his ruling, Mr Howe produced a copy of the Constitution and was about to quote from it when Mr Justice Costello said the law was "perfectly clear" on the matter.