The President of the High Court has adjourned a decision on whether to impose a punishment on the five Rossport men who were jailed for 94 days for breaching a court order.
Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan has been asked by legal teams for the five not to impose further punishment on the men for contempt of court, with one Senior Counsel telling the judge enough is enough.
Reserving his decision, Mr Justice Finnegan said that if he proceeds to punishment he should have regard to all that has happened.
Frank Callanan, SC for four of the five men, said that a further sanction imposed by the court would amount to a form of double jeopardy.
The men were jailed for contempt of court arising from their opposition to the Corrib gas pipeline project in Co Mayo.
In a statement yesterday, the men said they were prepared to go back to jail to stop the pipeline going through their land.
Dempsey considers pipeline
Meanwhile the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey, is still considering whether or not work should be halted on cutting up a 1.8km section of the pipeline, which was illegally welded together in June.
A spokesman said he is still studying the advice he received yesterday that there is no legal impediment to asking Shell to halt the work.
One local development organisation, the Pro Erris Gas Group, is urging that the dismantling of the pipeline be suspended pending a new safety review - if Shell agreed to contribute €250,000 to local community projects.
The Shell to Sea group and the five Rossport men say they would be totally opposed to any such move, as 'it would permit Shell to avoid responsibility for illegally assembling the pipeline'.
