I don’t believe the judiciary is above criticism. I never have. It probably isn't scrutinised enough and often benefits from the unhealthy deference to authority so prevalent across the Irish establishment.
“There shall be an attorney general who shall be the adviser of the government in matters of law and legal opinion,” reads article 30 of Bunreacht na hÉireann. The most important words here are ‘adviser’ and ‘law’.
Fianna Fáil has as good as admitted they don’t get housing.
Imagine living in a country where the evidence of one senior police officer could be used to convict you of membership of an unlawful organisation before a criminal court without a jury.
The received wisdom on An Bord Pleanála (ABP) used to be that it was a truly impartial decision-making body. And it largely was. Unlike many local authorities, the planning tribunals didn’t implicate ABP. It was a part of the planning system where brown envelopes were used only for sending post.
