12 MAY 1923, Page 3

A very serious situation has arisen, as we always feared

might happen, out of the Home Secretary's deportation of certain persons of Irish origin to Ireland on March 11th, by virtue of an Order in Council. The Court of Appeal on Wednesday allowed the appeal of Mr. Art O'Brien, one of the deported persons, from the decision of the Divisional Court, and ordered the Home Secretary to produce the prisoner next week. If the Free State authorities do not choose to release Mr. O'Brien, the Home Secretary will be in a very unpleasant predicament. The Government is appealing to the House of Lords. We extremely regret what has happened, but' we cannot help feeling a thrill at the majestic spectacle of the Law as the avenger of the rights of the subject.