Independent Alliance TD Shane Ross
Further to ongoing debates over Independent Alliance TD and Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross’ judicial appointments bill…
In today’s Irish Times, Stephen Collins writes:
Most members of the public are probably not too concerned about the proposed change in the judicial appointments system, which provides for an advisory appointments committee with a non-legal majority and a non-legal chair.
The bottom line, though, as articulated by former Supreme Court judge Catherine McGuinness, is that the removal of the Chief Justice from the chair of the committee represents “a deliberate kick in the teeth” not only to the incumbent Susan Denham but to the judiciary as a body.
For Ross and Sinn Féin the whole point of the Bill is to give the Chief Justice and her colleagues that deliberate kick in the teeth. While the system of appointing judges could certainly do with some improvement, the deliberate humiliation of a judiciary, which has broadly served the country well, is a dangerous path to go down.
Ross in his long career as a journalist and politician has engaged in one populist campaign after another. He is the nearest thing we have to an Irish Donald Trump and Fine Gael needs to think very carefully before betraying one of its core values to appease his grudge against the judiciary.
Yikes.
Fine Gael risks betraying its values by appeasing Ross (The Irish Times, Stephen Collings)
Sam Boal/Rollingnews
Batting for CJ Gageby with the Sinn Frein brickbat. Shambolic.
Populist policies such as judicial accoutability and not wasting public taxes. C’mon Stephen Collins (FF) you can’t just call him Trump because (it’s the insult du jour) and expect people to take you seriously.
Collins is actually Irish Parliamentary Party (still nursing a grudge about the 1918 election and his hero John Redmond), but has settled for FG as a second-best option now that the PDs are defunct.
The most out-of-touch political journalist/commentator in what is a tough competition.
McGuinness was appointed to the SC in 2000 by Bertie Ahern and elevated to a series of high profile positions by successive FF administrations led by Haughey, Reynolds, and the aforementioned. She does not think there is any need for reform. – see the Phoenix
Still and all, she was an excellent judge. And she’s a very nice lady.
The circling of the wagons amongst the legal “profession” is a sight to behold, ably assisted by the Irish Times. Just yesterday I heard Pat Leahy describe Ross as a “populist” so I guess that is the theme they have decided to run with. Its pathetic.
In fairness, if anybody writing for the Irish Times says something then its definitely true, the paper is so impartial and full of journalists with no bias at all.
Tom Humphries being the outstanding example
thank Christ
I’m not the only one
ta MI
Exactly
“the nearest thing we have to a Donald Trump”
seriously
did someone actually get paid for that?
Expect similar article from Jim O’Callaghan FF in the Irish Times tomorrow then..,
1. There is a need for some reform of the judicial appointment process as it is important pillar of democracy.
2. It should be carefully discussed and considered without being an open ended process.
3. Given the political ineptitude Shane Ross has shown dealing with public sector disputes and his patent disgust for the aspects of the legal profession, he is not the man to lead an functional change.
4. Stephen Collins has a predictable slant on things and it is no surprise he is taking this line in this manner. This kind of shoot the messenger journalism and commentary is just crap. If you want to take down Shane Ross’s view, then do it better than that.
I agree with all of this.
Healy Rae snr was the Irish equivalent of Trump. Nobody can figure out whether he was staggeringly stupid or evil and cynical, but he get a lot of votes by whipping up resentment amongst the underclass against the Dublin elites, and made a small fortune for himself in the process. Like Trump he also had two sons, one passable, the other a complete eejit.
– this is a better analogy
and a Daughter that is the smarty pants
isn’t she a Solicitor
Barrister. Who, amazingly, got Tribunal work back in the day.
I think she won a wodge of cash on Winning Streak too. So lucky in all respects. Apart from having to listen to Danny at family dinners, I’d imagine.
see
they’ll be Twinning Sud’Kirrie with DC yet
In other words they’re inside the tent, pissing in
It was when he proposed building a wall around Kerry to keep out Cork people that Frilly got p’d-off with him.
For Keeping them in
More like
Galvin
Johnny Cash
Fainting Dancing Queen O’Mahoney
++++++++
All work/ worked in Cork
That gave me a good old chuckle…
Shane Ross has his own questions outstanding.
This is the hack who was briefed by the Maple10 in the attempt to prop up the share price of Anglo, he spun it like it was a great thing.
Shane Ross – ethics? get up the yard
Betraying its values? Betraying its values??
Could you italicise the “its” just for completeness please?
Stephen Collins! LOL.
Surely Dennis O’Brien is the nearest thing w e have to a Donald Trump