LEGAL questioning seemed to stray into the realms of philosophy yesterday when a series of queries to Nessan Quinlivan about his whereabouts since the 1991 Brixton Prison escape ended with the inquiry: "Where are you now?"
The question was put by counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Diarmaid McGuinness SC, during Quinlivan's High Court bail hearing in Green Street.
"Where were you in August 1991?" Mr McGuinness asked.
"I refuse to answer that question," said Quinlivan.
Mr McGuinness tried a different approach: "When did you return to Ireland?"
"I refuse to answer that question," replied Quinlivan.
"You accept that you did return to Ireland at some stage?" said Mr McGuinness. Quinlivan again said he refused to answer the question.
"Where are you now?" said Mr McGuinness. "Dublin," replied Quinlivan to the mild amusement of many in the court room.
To other queries from Mr McGuinness on his whereabouts over the past five years, Quinlivan repeatedly refused to answer the question. He had earlier been advised by Mr Justice Kelly that he was not obliged to answer any question that would incriminate or tend to incriminate him.
Quinlivan sat in the witness box answering questions from his counsel, Ms Mary Ellen Ring, and Mr McGuinness for more than half an hour. Dressed in an open-necked grey shirt, a green fine check sports jacket and dark trousers, he spoke so quietly that Mr Justice Kelly asked him at one stage to speak up.
Quinlivan's "notoriety" was another topic to which Mr McGuinness returned several times. "You are a person of some notoriety at this stage. Do you agree with that?" asked Mr McGuinness. "It's possible," Quinlivan replied.
Counsel: "Don't you know that you are?"
Quinlivan: "What do you mean?"
Counsel: "Don't you know that you are a person of some notoriety?"
Quinlivan: "I suppose so."
When the questioning ended, Quinlivan returned to the dock and briefly smiled at his father, Paddy, who was alone in the public gallery. Mr Quinlivan later said he had attended his son's recent appearances in Green Street so often that he had by now acquired "squatters' rights".