[ad_1]
Calling for the resignation of Supreme Court Justice Séamus Woulfe due to his attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in Clifden in August would be “unfair and disproportionate,” a report concludes.
“Mr. Justice Woulfe did not do anything that involved inappropriate conduct to justify requests for his resignation from office,” concluded former Chief Justice Susan Denham.
It found that there were a number of mitigating factors involved in the judge’s attendance at the controversial dinner, including the fact that he was newly appointed at the time, that he had not yet sat down as a judge, the fact that he had not had the benefit of no introductory program after your appointment, and the fact that there were no judicial guidelines to assist you.
Referring to herself as the Reviewer, Judge Denham said she “was of the opinion that the Chief of Juice could address this matter through an informal resolution.”
The report was commissioned by Chief Justice Frank Clarke and was reviewed today by the Judicial Council board and discussed by members of the Supreme Court, in addition to Justice Woulfe.
The report found that Judge Woulfe could have attended the golf event without attending dinner and should not have accepted the invitation to dinner.
‘Not vigilant enough’
In light of this latter conclusion, there was no reason to answer the third question that Judge Clarke had asked him to examine, which was whether Judge Woulfe should have left the hotel under the circumstances, in the context of the golf course. departure dinner.
Judge Denham concluded that “it would have been better if Judge Woulfe had not attended the dinner, to avoid a risk of controversy that could affect the Supreme Court.”
“The Reviewer believes that the convenience of the attendance of a member of the Supreme Court to a celebration dinner, in a hotel in a public place, at a time of pandemic, required to be considered regardless of compliance with the issue of the Covid Regulations -19.
“In the opinion of the Reviewer, this was not done by Mr. Judge Woulfe. The Reviewer is of the opinion that Mr. Justice Woulfe did not consider the dinner invitation from the point of view of his new status as a Supreme Court Justice and, in this regard, Mr. Justice Woulfe was not attentive enough. “
Judge Woulfe told the magazine that he had been invited to the golf event before becoming a judge, and was later concerned about whether it was appropriate for him to attend the event.
After discussing the matter with his wife, he decided the safest thing to do was to raise the subject of the Oireachtas Golf Society event with Chief Justice Clarke, according to the report.
“On Wednesday, July 29, 2020, Mr. Justice Woulfe was crossing the courtyard of the Four Courts and meeting with the Chief Justice. Justice Woulfe called the Chief Justice and told him that since he was new, he just wanted to check something out with him.
“He said that he had been invited to the Oireachtas Golf Society. Judge Woulfe emphasized that it was a non-political event.
“Mr. Justice Woulfe recalls that the Chief Justice said something like ‘I don’t see a problem with that.’
“Mr. Justice Woulfe pointed out to the Reviewer, in fairness to the Chief Justice, that he did not raise the question of whether there would be a dinner or not.”
Answer
During the review, a report from an engineer on the Station House Hotel, including a plan of the place where the dinner took place, was submitted on behalf of Mr. Justice Woulfe and examined by Judge Denham.
In a brief statement today, the Judicial Council board said it had awarded Judge Denham compensation for her work in conducting the review in relation to her legal expenses and any litigation that might arise.
The award allowed the board to consider releasing the report, he said.
“The board considers that publication is consistent with its statutory functions and, on the contrary, not publishing would have had an adverse impact on these same functions.”
In response to the report, the Supreme Court said that it has taken note of the content and the account of the events that Judge Woulfe gave. “The Supreme Court fully accepts the conclusions and recommendations contained in the review. The resolution process recommended in the review will begin now. “
[ad_2]