Sinn Fein MEP Bairbre de Brun last night called for legislation to allow court cases in Northern Ireland to be conducted in Irish.
She was speaking after 24-year old Maire Nic an Bhaird, from Woodside Walk, Dunmurry, on the outskirts of Belfast, had a charge of disorderly behaviour adjourned at the city's Magistrates Court until September 6.
Ms Nic an Bhaird, a drama teacher at Colaiste Feirste, west Belfast, denies committing the offence in May on Belfast's Malone Road.
The case is being seen as a test case by some in the Irish language community.
"Considering the European Charter, the Good Friday Agreement and the Criminal Justice Review, she should now be able to get her papers from the Prosecution Service in the Irish language," Ms de Brun said.
As Irish language activists picketed the Laganside court complex, she said her former pupil should also be able to use Irish in the actual court proceedings.
"This young woman has spoken Irish all her life and has gone through her entire schooling through the medium of Irish.
"While I would obviously prefer that she didn't find herself before the courts, a main concern for the Irish language community is that all the proceedings should now be in Irish," she said.
"In particular, it is imperative that the Prosecution Service provide the relevant papers in Irish and she herself be able to address the court in Irish," Ms de Brun, a former Stormont Executive Minister, added.
Solicitor Michael Crawford said Ms Nic an Bhaird was a native Irish speaker and her whole environment was Irish.
Mr Crawford said that as all legal proceedings had been conducted in Irish, he had written to the Public Prosecution Service requesting that all papers in the case should be in Irish also.
Resident Magistrate Fiona Bagnall adjourned the case for three weeks to allow the defence to make written submissions in support of their application and to facilitate a response from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Ms Nic an Bhaird was released on continuing bail.
Slán
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