Jailed teacher Enoch Burke has lodged an appeal against a High Court injunction that prevents him from attending Wilson’s Hospital School where he is employed. The man was sentenced to Mountjoy Prison on Monday, September 5 for contempt of court after refusing to comply with the order in question.

Burke remains in detention due to his refusal to purge contempt, and formally lodged his appeal against the injunction at the Office of the Court of Appeal (CoA) on Tuesday, October 4. The day previous, the High Court granted the teacher an order allowing him to attend the Four Courts complex in person, and he arrived accompanied by members of the Irish Prison Services, as well as his brother Isaac Burke.

According to reports, in his appeal, Enoch Burke requested that the CoA “set aside orders including the granting of the temporary ex-parte injunction against him, and the subsequent decision to keep the injunction in place pending the final hearing of the matter.” The teacher also appealed the High Court’s dismissal of his applications that aimed at setting aside his suspension from the school. Burke has not appealed the orders committing him to prison for contempt.

Just passed a protest outside Mountjoy where they’re saying they stand with Enoch Burke which is very funny considering the reason he’s locked up is because he won’t comply with the barring order so he’s done this to himself.

— Ronzo (@ronronzo) October 2, 2022

The appeal is due to be mentioned before the CoA later this month, but it is unlikely to be heard before Christmas. After lodging the appeal, Burke was transferred back to Mountjoy Prison.

Speaking on Tuesday, Isaac Burke told the press that his brother has “no intention” of purging his contempt.

Judge Miriam O’Regan ordered Enoch Burke’s arrest on September 2, 2022 when he failed to attend court after breaching the injunction against him. The injunction was granted to the Board of Management at Wilson’s Hospital School where he reportedly turned up despite being on paid administrative leave pending a disciplinary process.

Burke was suspended for his alleged conduct at a school event in June, where he publicly disputed a Transgender student’s ‘they/them’ pronouns. The secondary school had requested that all staff respect the student’s gender identity, but the teacher reportedly argued that a belief system was being forced upon the students and that Transgenderism goes against the institution’s ethos and the teaching of the Church of Ireland.