Seanad debates

Wednesday, 12 November 2003

Courts and Court Officers (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second and Subsequent Stages.

 

Reference was made to the suspicion that some people engage in forum shopping, seeking particular judges for particular results. That suspicion is entertained not just in this House. It is obviously desirable that one judge should be the same as another. However, judges are flesh and blood and we expect them to be so. We also expect them to be consistent with each other. It is inevitable, nevertheless, that just as politicians, Ministers and Senators differ in their characteristics, there will always be judges who are softer or more inclined to see the small man's case, the State's interest or whatever. Judges will always have different characteristics and there is no way of avoiding that except to ask them to attempt to be objective and consistent with other judges, in so far as they can, in the standard of justice they administer.

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