Justice

The evidence of three witnesses against Catherine Nevin at her trial raise serious doubts about the reliability of her convinction. By Vincent Browne

Ex-Supreme Court judge Sean O'Leary's posthumous op-ed in the Irish Times last year criticised the judiciary for pandering to a populist sense of justice. Donncha O'Connell examines the veracity of his claims and asks why the Supreme Court stays silent in the face of media and public criticism

Decisions made decades before she was born influenced the fate of Miss D. Whispers and shouts all around her showed how confused and passionate people still are about the issue of abortion, while the silence from politicians is deafening. Justine McCarthy was in the Four Courts for the verdict

he Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 17 May 1974 were conducted by the UVF and orchestrated by members of the British security forces. The cover-up of the worst atrocity of the Northern conflict was aided by Garda and Southern official incompetence and indifference and by British mendacity. By Joe Tiernan

In failing to impose a custodial sentence on Adam Keane for the rape of Mary Shannon of Ennis, Mr Justice Paul Carney felt constrained by a previous decision of the Court of Criminal Appeal in another case (the NY case) which he overturned a sentence for rape of three years in favour of a suspended sentence. 

Below, Village presents an introduction to the Keane trial, transcripts from the trial and a summary of a related trial (the GD case) which, along with the NY case, considerably influenced the Keane case.  

Michael McDowell's robust criticism of judges is healthy and as an art-form should be welcomed. There is nothing inappropriate with a politician, even a Minister for Justice, criticising judges, even when, as in this instance, he is wrong. He is entitled to have a “go” at judges and there is nothing in what is known as the “separation of powers” which should in any way inhibit him. Michael McDowell is as entitled to criticise judges as the rest of us and the forthright manner in which he has done this is refreshing.

The failure to get the new Ombudsman Commission up and running after more than a year since its inception is underlined by the absence of any independent mechanism now to enquire into the extraordinary case concerning the Clondalkin man, Derek O'Toole, who was killed by a car being driven by an off-duty Garda on Sunday morning last (4 March).

Judge Paul Carney was wrong in the Pádraig Nally trial but found right in the Wayne O'Donoghue case. By Vincent Browne

One District Court judge claimed €86,451 in expenses in 2004. On average 46 District Court judges claimed almost €24,000 each in expenses. Circuit Court judges claimed on average over €25,000, with one claiming €63,304. By Emma Browne

The judges of the Supreme Court have failed to explain how they justified their order to imprison a man on the basis of a law the court had declared was 'null and void'. By Vincent Browne