Greens seek anti-racism training for judiciary

Immediate action needs to be taken in the form of anti-racism training and awareness raising for judges, according to the Green Party.

The call comes in the wake of controversial comments by Longford District Court Judge John Neilan. He is reported as saying the majority of shopping centres in Longford would ban "coloured" people if shoplifting did not stop.

Judge Neilan once described a feud among Travellers as "ethnic cleansing".

He also described mobile phones "lethal in the extreme" after someone had gained access to his ex-directory telephone number. Threatening calls had been made, he said, and access to his number may have been made via a mobile telephone.

He said he believed a mobile telephone was used to track down journalist Veronica Guerin. "If these mobile phones were not available, perhaps Ms Guerin would be alive today," he said.

Green Party spokesman on justice, equality and law reform, Mr Ciarán Cuffe, said yesterday his party had already written to the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, requesting that he introduce anti-racism training for judges.

The party believes it could be introduced by incorporating it into equality legislation. A complaints board whereby people can report inappropriate behaviour by judges should also be established, Mr Cuffe said. The Green party was "gravely concerned" by judge Neilan's comments, he added.

"This is a classic case of how people can be labelled in society by those who are supposed to promote justice and equality in our community. Immediate action needs to be taken in the form of anti-racism training and awareness raising for judges to ensure that such comments are not aired by judges in the future," he said.

"As far as I am aware there is no statutory obligation for judges to be trained in this area which is a disgrace since they represent the pillars of our society."

In 1998 the Working Group on Judicial Ethics and Standards asked the then Minister to set up such a board, but no action has been taken to date.

Besides suggesting the shopping centre ban, Mr Neilan told two non-nationals who appeared before his court that they would be deported if they reoffended. The women, from Togo and the Ivory Coast, were accused of stealing €334 worth of goods from Tescos in Longford in January.

Judge Neilan adjourned the case until May so that he could gather background information on the women from the Department of Foreign Affairs.