A victims’ campaigner taking forward a judicial review aimed at clarifying the circumstances in which a border poll would be held has invited the Irish government to join as a notice party.

Raymond McCord’s judicial review, launched in June, seeks to establish the circumstances that would lead to a border poll in Northern Ireland.

His solicitor, Ciaran O’Hare of McIvor Farrell Solicitors, said Mr McCord “wishes to bring certainty and transparency to an otherwise undefined position of fundamental constitutional legal importance”.

Mr O’Hare said the Irish government was invited to join the proceedings as a notice party on 12 September, but did not respond.

He said: “We are of the opinion that the Irish Government and/or State is constitutionally bound to intervene in these proceedings.

“Ireland is a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement and articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland state that one of the main objectives of the Irish nation is to unite all the people of the island of Ireland and to bring about a united Ireland through peaceful means with the consent of the majority of the people in both jurisdictions.

“Therefore, in light of the profound impact that any border poll would have on the constitutional make-up of the Irish Republic, we are of the view that the Irish Government and/or State should apply to become a notice party to these proceedings

“Our client is of the opinion that the intervention of the Irish Government is important and he hopes that a decision from the Government will be forthcoming as a matter of urgency, given that his case is listed before Belfast High Court next month.”