Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

The argument for the position might be that by the time a judgment is given enough discussion has taken place and there has to be an end to litigation. That is the common law position.

Senator Jim Walsh referred to the need for accountability in judicial decisions. While the difficulty is that there must be finality in judicial decisions, the questions the Senator raised are being examined in the context of the preparation of a Bill on judicial ethics which forms part of the Department's legislative programme.