Airey v. Ireland

Airey v. Ireland (application No. 6289/73) was a case decided by the European Court of Human Rights in 1979.

Mrs. Airey wished to obtain a decree of judicial separation from her husband (divorce was illegal in Ireland); at that time legal aid was not available in Ireland for any civil matters, including seeking a judicial separation.

The Court held that:

Judges Thór Vilhjálmsson, O'Donoghue and Evrigenis each filed a dissent.

In the case, it was established that the right of effective access to the courts may entail legal assistance. Airey case has been applied in a number of cases on civil legal aid.

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