Josie Airey, the Cork woman who went to the European Court of Human Rights because she could not get free legal aid in Ireland, won her case on 9 October 1979.
The court in Strasbourg ruled that the Irish government were in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. At the time, only criminals in Ireland were granted free legal aid. Airey had been unable to get a legal separation from her violent husband because she couldn't afford the legal fees. Supported by the Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC) and represented by Mary Robinson, Airey took the Irish government to the European Court of Human Rights.
Pat Kenny asks Airey to compare and contrast her treatment in Ireland and Europe in this interview broadcast on 'The Pat Kenny Show' on 22 August 1984.
