Pressure tactics on the eve of the Inquiry into school closures have forced the Flynn Primary School Parents and Citizens Association to drop its long-running legal challenge against the Stanhope Government’s closure of Flynn Primary School.

After more than two years of raising money, instructing lawyers and examining more than 20,000 pages of FOI material, the Flynn P&C has been forced out without a chance to present its case, according to Association President, Roger Nicoll.

“It’s really tragic that our path to justice has been blocked at every turn, firstly by the demand to put up $50,000, then by efforts to strike-out the case and then by refusal to provide key documents through a discovery process,” Mr Nicoll said.

Under the Administrative Decisions Judicial Review Act, the Flynn P&C has been in the Supreme Court since early 2007, attempting to challenge the decision to close Flynn Primary School.

“The community was willing but the ACT Government’s solicitor made it clear in a recent letter that they would pursue us mercilessly for costs if we kept going.”

“The community supported the action in a fantastic way to raise well over $50,000 but we just couldn’t see the point of raising perhaps another $50,000, or more, if there was no chance that the Government would let the case be heard.”

“The Government Solicitor also made it clear that the Government might not re-open the Flynn school even if the Court found in Flynn’s favour and ordered it to do so.”

“Flynn’s community support has continued to grow since the closure of Flynn Primary School in 2006 and many of Flynn’s young families with baby-boom kids have been hoping Flynn’s school and community centre will soon be restored,” Mr Nicoll said.

“One positive outcome from ending the appeal is that the Flynn P&C will be able to take part in the current school closure Inquiry.”

The Standing Committee on Education, Training and Youth Affairs is seeking submissions to the school closure Inquiry by Tuesday 31 March 2009 (next Tuesday).

“The school closure Inquiry will be important to future of our communities and future management of the ACT. The Inquiry might well be the only opportunity to examine the full facts of the Towards 2020 school closures policy and process and to respond accordingly.”

See the ABC News coverage at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/27/2527975.htm