Retired Chief Justice Susan Denham (left) and Séamus Woulfe, who, as Attorney General, signed off on regulations that prohibited gatherings like the golf outing he would attend a few weeks later as a Supreme Court judge
This afternoon.
Further to Golfgate….
Via The Irish Times:
Retired chief justice Susan Denham has met Supreme Court judge Séamus Woulfe concerning his attendance at the Oireachtas golf dinner, The Irish Times has learned.
Mr Justice Woulfe, a former Attorney General, was accompanied by Michael Collins SC when he met with Ms Denham in a boardroom on Tuesday at the Courts Service Green Street building.
…Senior Counsel Shane Murphy was also in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting which is understood to have lasted a number of hours
Séamus Woulfe meets former chief justice over Oireachtas dinner controversy (Irish Times)
Meeting reconstruction:
Denham: “What were you thinking?”
Woulfe: “Eh…”
[Four hours later]
Denham: “Lunch?”
[all present rush for door]
Meanwhile…
BREAKING: Ret Judge Sean MacBride says he thinks the position of Supreme Court Judge Seamus Woulfe is untenable after his attendance at #golfgate and that “the damage is done to the reputation of the judiciary” if he stays on pic.twitter.com/wNnY8SrJCZ
— Joe Finnegan Show (@JoeFinneganShow) September 9, 2020
This morning.
Speaking on this morning’s Joe Finnegan show, in a wide ranging interview, Retired Judge [former Fianna Fáil member now with Sinn Féin] Sean MacBride says he would have said no if invited himself.
‘”I would have sent them a text saying no thanks, I am a permanent member of the third arm of government and I cannot be playing golf in an Oireachtas golf competition as you can appreciate, good luck and bye bye” and that’s simply how it would have been dealt with.’
“Seamus Woulfe is a very fine person and I have total respect and esteem for him” but he says he made a “tragic error of judgement” in attending the event in Clifden.
“I still don’t understand as to why he went there” and that he couldn’t see that people would think here was “a clear breach of the separation of powers”.
Listen here
Woulfe is a piece of crap. Cannot believe he hasn’t resigned yet.
low standards in high office – it’s the irish way..
Ah Susan Denham.. the woman who let George Gibney off. .
wasnt she also involved in an indirect way in letting the ringleader and financial beneficiary of the dalkey paedophile ring off ? may be wrong
It’s the ‘appearance of impropriety’ which I hope she’ll use to screw him. That’s the key.
He’s supremely arrogant. Not surprising in his profession but I thought he’d have more class.
Just sack him
He can seek justice in the courts
Simple
Apparently Enda Kenny was there too – in Clifden, not at the Denham meeting – took a look in, said no way, I’m outta here, and left. Allegedly.
The Oreachtas can remove him why have they not iniatatived the process to remove
him, the inquiry into his attendance at the venue in Cliften is a matter for the Guards
and not Susan Denham, she has no power to investigate anything.
How would Calleary, Buttimer, Grealish and friends vote in that one? Abstain?