“Personalised attacks on the impartiality or integrity of a judge threaten the rule of law which protects all of us”
Statement by the President of the Law Society of Ireland, Michele O’Boyle.
The President of the Law Society of Ireland, Michele O鈥橞oyle, responded to the attack by a member of D谩il 脡ireann on a High Court judge which she described as 鈥渟hocking, unwarranted and dangerous鈥.
鈥淚t is entirely appropriate for a politician to disagree with a judge鈥檚 decision,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey have a remedy which is to appeal the decision or seek a change in the law.鈥
鈥淚t is not appropriate, however, for a politician to launch a personalised attack on the impartiality or the integrity of a judge,鈥 she continued. 鈥淪uch an attack risks undermining the necessary mutual respect between branches of Government required by the Constitution. It threatens respect for the law and even the rule of law which protects all of us.鈥
鈥淭here is a fine tradition in Ireland of politicians in particular, and commentators in general, displaying respect for the judiciary, even where they may not like individual judgments. It is in everyone鈥檚 interest that this tradition of respect should continue. It is in no one鈥檚 interest, neither judges, politicians nor the public as a whole, that this tradition should be departed from under any circumstances.鈥
鈥淚 call on all who respect the rule of law to reject populist attacks on the judiciary and to distance themselves from this latest very regrettable example.鈥