Election fraud allegations insufficient to permit inspection of sealed electoral documents

The High Court declined to grant an order allowing the applicant, an unsuccessful candidate in the General Election, to inspect and preserve sealed electoral documents related to alleged irregularities at a polling station. The applicant's previous attempt to file an election petition was time-barred, and the court found no basis for her to inspect the documents as no prosecution had been initiated by An Garda Síochána, and she had not indicated an intention to initiate a prosecution herself. While An Garda Síochána confirmed the documents were part of an ongoing assessment, the respondent undertook not to destroy them, rendering the applicant's request for preservation unnecessary. The court also noted that the applicant had been granted access to the marked electoral register in electronic form, addressing her request for a copy for a criminal investigation.