A High Court action against Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams was thrown out on Wednesday.

Independent unionist councillor Frank McCoubrey argued that his human rights were breached by the West Belfast MP's refusal to sit in the House of Commons.

Adams, along with the other three Sinn Fein MPs, has refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Queen as required before he takes his place on the green benches.

Mr Justice Girvan refused leave to apply for a judicial review of the decision, but agreed that there were shortcomings in the law.

While some may wish to challenge the need to take an oath, he said, others may seek to argue that an MP should be required to vacate his seat if he has not taken the oath after a certain period of time.

Nevertheless, he insisted that McCoubrey's case was not the appropriate means of dealing with "these contentious political issues".

Next stop Europe?

McCoubrey is now considering whether to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights.

"I believe what happened today is a political decision," he said.

"The Speaker of the House of Commons refused to act and that is why I had to seek a judicial review. We have not been granted one but I am not letting it rest there.

"My ultimate goal was to get this case to Europe to prove to the world that the West Belfast MP is abusing the human rights of thousands of his constituents."

Sinn Fein councillor Paul Maskey insisted that McCoubrey's case had "no basis in law or fact", arguing that Wednesday's result was "inevitable given the shallow nature of the case".

"Gerry Adams will continue to represent all of the people of West Belfast," he said.

"The constituency service which his office provides is second to none, a fact which can be confirmed by the people in unionist areas of West Belfast who have had occasion to use it over the years."