Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for being brief in my comments, but I wanted to contribute as I was very moved. Senator Boylan has championed this issue so passionately and consistently. She has raised it in every aspect and has looked, campaigned and pushed for justice. I want to commend Senator Boylan, in particular, on this issue. It is one of the issues of genuine heart, love and drive for justice that I have seen moved through the Seanad.

I want to indicate formally the Civil Engagement Group’s support for the Bill and our support for the importance of ensuring that justice is done and delivered in a way which is true to the public. The public needs to see it being done and to see a jury selected in the same way as in a criminal case and to know it is a genuine cross-section of the public coming forward.

The families have been failed by instruments of the State and by instruments of justice in the past. It is very important that this process and the inquest reflects the full public and it is not seen as being owned or controlled by any of the instruments which have perhaps fallen short in the past. In that regard, it is vital that there is a proper, appropriate public selection process and the same process that would apply in a criminal case. This is a small change and the Minister has made bigger and more dramatic changes, and often changes for justice, in fairness, during her tenure. Again, this is a small and real change that could be made.

Again, the issue of the battle for legal aid has been so substantial that it should certainly not be the case again that we would see an issue of finances affecting who can participate in a jury or who might participate in this. We need to make sure there is no question in regard to structures of power already or financial limitations serving to limit this being a genuine instrument of justice in terms of the inquiries. Again, I urge the Minister to support – I know she will not oppose it - and deliver the changes we need to make sure justice is finally given and a light shown, as needs to be done, on these issues. Again, I commend the proposers of the Bill and welcome those in the Gallery.