Results 17,161-17,180 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: The Tánaiste went a little bit of the way with them, or at least that is the way it looks to me.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: The Tánaiste is eminently reasonable, which is why we in this House love him so much. I have been saying for a number of years that law should be written in accessible language. I may not be a lawyer and I may be economically illiterate but I have a nodding acquaintance with the English language. The term "give directions" means to give directions, and we cannot buck that. If I give...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: Yes, fine. If the Tánaiste returns, why not clean up the language and give us proper law in accessible language so we do not have this problem.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: Joyce is immediately accessible.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: The Acting Chairman can ask all he likes, but I will reply to the Tánaiste, who invoked Joyce, which one does not do in my——

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: After this, we will restrain ourselves. I do a celebrated one-man show about the life and works of James Joyce, almost all of the second half of which is Finnegans Wake, but I never include it in the programme because people would go to the bar if they saw those words. However, they enjoy it thoroughly when they do not know what it is because it is immediately accessible when performed....

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: They could do that with the wording "may advise".

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: I am not suggesting a judge should do that.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: I feel a vote coming on.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: In response to what Senator Walsh has said, I do not believe for a minute that judges read transcripts of Oireachtas debates. They do not decide that certain things must be done because Members of the Oireachtas said they should be done. I am perfectly certain that judges never bother to check what we say. The measures which are passed into law are parsed and analysed by judges. They do...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: I see. That is what I thought the Minister was saying. I am certainly not trying to do that. Nothing in what I have proposed would prevent a judge from saying that a certain precedent was set in a previous case. There is nothing in my amendment to inhibit a judge from deciding that an appropriate award was given. I am sorry that the Minister has seduced away my colleague on the...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: Which remark does the Chair consider to be unparliamentary?

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: That is not unparliamentary at all. I meant it in the nicest possible sense. As we all know, the experience of seduction is very nice, in all senses, and immensely pleasurable. I will try to stop my mind from going down that track. Senator Jim Walsh was very acute in his perception because I felt a vote gathering in my waters, so to speak. The Minister has been flexible up to now, but he...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: I was delighted.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: I was thrilled with the article attacking me the next day and the photograph of me wearing a boater. It was fantastic, coming up to an election.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: It is the goose-stepping that does it.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: The Minister got it off his chest. Well done. Does he feel better?

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: I hope Senator Maurice Hayes will rise to the challenge and provide an example of a generous apology. Unless I have completely misunderstood the position, the amendment is extremely specific. It states the order shall specify the date, time on which an apology shall be issued, the form it shall take, etc. What will happen if there is a tsunami or a particular publishing exigency arises and...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: Senator Maurice Hayes forgot to give us an example of a grovelling and generous apology.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Mar 2007)

David Norris: That is a lovely word, is it not?