GALWAY MOTHER LOSES EUROPEAN COURT CASE

Date Published: 18-Jun-2008

A 44 year old Galway woman has lost a landmark case at The European Court of Human Rights.

Mother of four, Mary Kehoe, brought the case over, what she claimed, was an unreasonble delay in enforcing maintenance payments by her former husband.

Mary Kehoe said the delay in receiving her maintenance payments was a breach of her human rights under Articles 6 and13 of the European Convention.

Her ex-husband, Mr K, left the marital home at the beginning of 1994 and she then applied to the child support agency to obtain financial support from him.

There were a number of problems with payments.

However the English Government objected to the case, stating the Mary Kehoe had no civil right to receive maintenance.

The European Court of Human Rights has unanimously found that there is NO violation of the European Convention.