Tag Archives: Alan Shatter

From top: Attorney General Paul Gallagher; former Minister for Justice Alan Shatter

This morning.

Further to revelations that Attorney General Paul Gallagher acted for private clients, including a former director of Independent News and Media in a case in which the State is on the opposing side…

…Via former Minister for Justice Alan Shatter in the Irish Times:

The lack of complete transparency surrounding the current AG’s continued engagement in private practice since his appointment, the manner in which information has emerged and the official response to it emerging exacerbates that risk.

If the AG intended to maintain any private practice for an extended period of time this should have been made public knowledge at the time of his appointment. The explanation given that his involvement in private practice was prolonged by the Covid pandemic is difficult to understand.

We were in the midst of the pandemic in June 2020 when Paul Gallagher SC was appointed. It’s impact in delaying court hearings readily created additional time for the transfer of court briefs.

The issue is not simply about whether the AG continuing in private practice impacted on his availability to efficiently fulfil his obligations to Government but is also about avoiding conflicts of interest, real or perceived, ensuring public confidence in the manner in which he carries out his role and there being no public perception, however wrong, of the AG or any member of the judiciary’s judgement being affected by conscious or unconscious bias.

As the AG’s input may be sought on reform of defamation law and on bills affecting financial institutions, his representing while AG, for any extended period of time, present or former directors of media companies or any financial institution may be a cause of concern. As his position as AG facilitates his substantially influencing judicial appointments, there could be a risk when he engages in private litigation, litigants on the opposite side may fear unconscious bias could influence the outcome of proceedings to their detriment.

The separation of powers and the rule of law is a foundation stone of our constitutional democracy. The constitution does not address the perceptions of conflict of interest or bias that can result from an AG maintaining a private practice. It is an issue that can be easily addressed by legislation requiring that he or she shall, as Attorney General, be a full-time officer of the State. The need for such legislation is now clear.’ [More at link below]

Alan Shatter: Attorney General should not maintain a private legal practice (Irish Times)

Previously: Power Of Attorney

RollingNews

Taoiseach Micheál Martin

This afternoon.

The Dail in the Convention Centre

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he has put a ‘redacted version’ of the Guerin Report (commissioned to investigate the reporting of confidential information by Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe) in the Oireachtas Library.

He told Labour TD Brendan Howlin the action was the “culmination” of correspondence with former Minister for Justice Alan Shatter on the matter.

Mr Martin said:

“In February 2019, the Supreme Court found that the conclusions regarding Mr [Alan] Shatter in the [Sean] Guerin report were outside the scope of the terms of reference for the review and were arrived at without an invitation to Mr Shatter to express his views.

“The court granted a declaration that the conclusions in the report and in respect of Mr Shatter were outside the scope of Mr Guerin’s terms of reference. The court also emphasised that it was far from being critical of Mr Guerin’s conduct in carrying out the review in the prevailing circumstances. In my view it is important that the decision of the Supreme Court is properly reflected in terms of the information placed before the House.

“Therefore as a matter of propriety and fairness, I recently placed the redacted version of the report in the Oireachtas library with those paragraphs which the Supreme Court found were out of scope of the review removed from the text. The revised report is accompanied by the full text of the Supreme Court judgment in order to contextualise the matter.”

Anyone?

Previously: Natural Justice

Today.

Former Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, based in Naples, Florida, spoke to Going Underground on Russia Today about his book Frenzy and Betrayal: The Anatomy of a Political Assassination.

During the 15-minute interview, Mr Shatter also talked about Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, journalists, anonymous sources and the end of his political career.

The use of Shannon Airport by the US military was also discussed, in light of events in Iraq and Iran.

Yikesi.

Previously: Frenzy In High Places

Last night.

Dawson Street, Dublin 2

Crime Journalist Paul Williams (pic 3)  launches Frenzy And Betrayal: Anatomy Of A Political Assassination (Merrion Press) by former justice minister Alan Shatter at a reception in Hodges and Figgis.

Yesterday: Shatt On His Own Doorstep

Pics: Merrion Press

From top: Frenzy and Betrayal (top) by Alan Shatter, above right with Leo Varadkar in 2010

 

The ex-Dublin Rathdown TD writes at length about a now infamous speech given by Mr Varadkar at a road safety conference in March 2014.

Mr Varadkar called on then Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan to withdraw controversial remarks he made about the two Garda whistleblowers, Maurice McCabe and John Wilson.

The commissioner used the word “disgusting” in relation to the leaking of details of the scrapping of penalty points by the two men.

By contrast, Mr Varadkar described them as “distinguished” and suggested the Department of Justice was not properly investigating the allegations.

Mr Shatter was in Mexico on government business at the time and felt “ambushed” by the comments.

In his book, he claims Mr Varadkar chose to “entirely ignore” briefings from the Department of Justice on the actions being taken and the fact the issue had been referred to the Garda Inspectorate.

Mr Shatter says the RSA event was used “as a platform for a publicity-seeking piece of self promotion”.

“The speech also clearly promoted the false narrative that both Callinan and I had ‘turned a blind eye to McCabe’s complaints…”

“I believe that Varadkar was opportunistically reigniting a controversy, despite knowing the background to be more complex than the public could have understood or as presented by Opposition politicians and media commentators.”

He continued: “Varadkar was depicted as the handsome hero, Luke Skywalker, and Martin Callinan and I joined at the hip as Darth Vader, with the shadow of Maurice McCabe cast across the whole stage.”

Leo Varadkar betrayed me to win power, Shatter claims (Independent.ie)

Previously: Revenge Is A Cold Canapé

Frenzy In High Places

Thanks Bebe

Rollingnews

Gulp.

I Was Right Frenzy and Betrayal: The Anatomy of a Political Assassination (Irish Academic Press)

A new book by former Justice Minister Alan Shatter scheduled to be published on May 20.

The table of contents contain the headings:

Plane Sailing

Joined at the Hip

Vulnerabilities, Anomalies and Threats

The Media Frenzy Begins

Confusion Confounded and a Wandering Definitive

GSOC Unchained and Post-Truths

Insomnia, the Pink Panther and Inspector Gadget

Sticky Wickets and Rits Crackers!

Flying Empty Planes, Severed Hips and Rotting Fish

Political Tsunami

GSOC Cooked

The Presumption of Guilt and Chasing Geese!

Cooking Cooke and the Invisible Leak

Along Comes Olly!

A Tangled Web and Armageddon

The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the?

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

The Ides of March

Ticket Charges and Penalty Points

Disgust

‘Real People Love the Shane and Mary Lou Show’

A Failed Prophet and a Ticking Time Bomb

‘Distinguished not Disgusting’

Entering a Parallel Universe

Varadkar’s Source

Garda Recordings Discovered

Oh what a Tangled Web

The Garda Commissioner Retires

Shedding Crocodile Tears

Tapegate, Twin Egos, Leo Lionised and God’s Earth

Fake News Irish-Style and Alternative Facts

The Arrogant and Perfidious Jew

The Guerin Report is Born

A Uniquely Irish Political Coup

Guerin v O’Higgins: The Truth Two Years Too Late

A Rush to Judgement, Legal Guff and Reformers Beware!

Complaints Upheld, Exaggerated, Unfounded and Withdrawn

Betrayal, Conscience, Excoriation and Vindication

Watergate Irish-Style!

The Rule of Law

Outside Looking In

Enda Kenny Resigns

The Resignations of Nóirín O’Sullivan and Frances Fitzgerald

The Disclosures Tribunal Reports

Closure and a Pyrrhic Victory

He seems to be getting over it.

Frenzy and Betrayal: The Anatomy of A Political Assassination (Alan Shatter, Irish Academic Press/Merrion Press)

H/T: Oireachtas Retort

Meanwhile…

Separately…

Enda The Road.

TV3 Virgin Media One’s political correspondent Gavan Reilly‘s book on the nine-day downfall of former Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, published by Mercier Press.

It can be purchased here  ahead of its official launch by Matt Cooper at Dubray Books on Grafton Street, Dublin 2 on Thursday, May 30.

Former Minister for Justice Alan Shatter and Independents 4 Change TD Mick Wallace on RTE’s Prime Time on May 16, 2013

You may recall how, back in May 2013, the then Justice Minister Alan Shatter and Independents 4 Change TD appeared on RTÉ’s Prime Time.

They were there to discuss a penalty points report by then Assistant Commissioner John O’Mahoney – which found there was no widespread quashing of penalty points.

In addition, the then Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan had appeared at the Public Accounts Committee earlier that day.

During the Prime Time appearance, Mr Shatter accused Mr Wallace of having been stopped by the gardaí in May 2012 and that he had been on his phone while driving.

Mr Shatter claimed Mr Wallace had been advised by the guard who stopped him that a fixed ticket charge could be issued and that he could be given penalty points.

Mr Shatter also claimed Mr Wallace was warned not to do it again.

The claims on Prime Time were made almost a month after Gemma O’Doherty, in the Irish Independent, reported that, in July 2007, a car registered to the then Deputy Commissioner Martin Callinan – who was appointed to the position in January 2007 – was caught speeding on camera.

Ms O’Doherty reported the penalty points in relation to this incident were subsequently quashed.

After Prime Time, Mr Wallace told Pat Kenny that he was neither stopped nor warned.

He said:

“I was parked at the lights and a Garda vehicle came up beside me. And I was on the phone…which I know, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have been on it. The guard..I rolled down the window, the guard rolled down his window. There was two guards there. And I said ‘oh’, I just had my hand up and they said ‘it’s OK’. And, left it at that. And we just, we made small talk after for maybe about 15/20 seconds and the lights went green and I drove on straight and they pulled out. The guards were friendly.”

Following what happened on Prime Time, and a subsequent complaint made by Mr Wallace, the Data Protection Commissioner ruled the disclosure made by Mr Shatter breached his duties under the Data Protection Act.

The Circuit Civil Court upheld this decision when Mr Shatter made an initial appeal.

However, Mr Shatter appealed again to the High Court.

Further to this…

RTE reports:

Former minister for justice Alan Shatter has won his challenge to a finding that his disclosure of information about Independent TD Mick Wallace on a live TV programme, was a breach of his duties under the data protection act.

…Mr Shatter claimed the then Data Protection Commissioner, Billy Hawkes failed to set out the basis for his conclusion the information was personal data and had prejudged that issue and acted in breach of fair procedures.

Mr Shatter’s lawyers said he never had, or saw, any written record of the information communicated to him during a conversation with then Garda Commissioner Martin Callanan.

He said the information was “in his mind” only and what he said did not amount to “processing” it.

Shatter wins challenge to Data Protection Commissioner ruling (RTE)

Previously: How Did He Know?

No Points At The Five Lamps

File Photo Former minister for justiceÊAlan ShatterÊhas won his legal challenge to the findings of the 2014 Guerin Report examining the handling of claims made by a garda whistleblower. Mr Shatter appealed against the High Court's dismissal of his challenge. The Court of Appeal found in Mr Shatter's favour this morning. 02/10/2013. Fine Gael call for 'Yes' vote in upcoming referendum. Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, pictured in St Stephens Green in Dublin today at a photocall to call for a 'Yes' vote in the upcoming referendum on the abolition of the Seanad. Photo: Laura Hutton/RollingNews.ie

Alan Shatter and Enda Kenny in happier times

Gulp.

More as we get it.

Rollingnews