A judge presiding over the appeal of Claire Brennan, the first person convicted under Northern Ireland’s abortion clinic censorship zone law, has recused himself following concerns over judicial impartiality and has ordered a retrial.
County Court Judge Ciaran Moynagh had heard Claire Brennan’s appeal on 2 September 2025, but immediately following this hearing, his involvement in abortion rights cases was discovered.
Judge Moynagh was previously awarded Humanist of the Year by Humanists UK for his legal activism on abortion rights and same-sex marriage.
