About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

LOG IN
LOG IN


42 J. Legal Hist. 1 (2021)

handle is hein.journals/lglhis42 and id is 1 raw text is: THE JOURNAL OF LEGAL HISTORY 2021, VOL. 42, NO. 1, 1-34 https://doi.org/10.1080/01440365.2021.1893946 Taloutiedge Taylor & Francis Group Natural Law in Early Twentieth Century Ireland - State (Ryan) v Lennon and its Aftermath Thomas Mohr School of Law, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland KEYWORDS Irish Free State; 1922 Constitution; 1937 Constitution; natural law; State (Ryan) v Lennon I. Introduction The case of State (Ryan) v Lennon, which was heard before the Irish Supreme Court in 1934, remains one of the most celebrated and closely analysed cases in Irish legal history.' Jeremiah Ryan and three other persons were charged with the attempted murder of a rate collector and were brought before a mili- tary court known as the 'Constitution (Special Powers) Tribunal' that was empowered to try civilians.2 They challenged the legality of this military court by contesting the validity of a number of constitutional amendments that underpinned its existence.3 In a famous dissenting judgment Chief CONTACT Thomas Mohr thomas.mohr@ucd.ie School of Law, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland '[1935] IR 170. 2The three additional applicants were Hubert Johnston, John Harty and James Cantwell. 3Constitution (Amendment No. 16) Act 1929 and Constitution (Amendment No. 17) Act 1931. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group