Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The Bill provides that any members of the Defence Forces who are barristers or solicitors may not be members of a court martial board. The amendment seeks to remove this provision. A person in the Defence Forces who is legally qualified is a potential member of the legal service. This fact should cast doubt on his or her independence. In the recently passed UK Armed Forces Act 2006 such persons are specifically disqualified from being members of what in this jurisdiction would be called a court martial board. I am not disposed to change the provision.

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