MEMBERS of the judiciary were sharply criticised by members of the Seanad yesterday for moving into the political arena.
The reaction by the senators comes following claims by two district justices of inaction by politicians on tackling crime.
During the Order of Business in the House yesterday Mr Tom Enright (FG) said he wanted to protest in the strongest possible manner on comments made by Judge Mary Martin and Judge Michael Patwell at sittings of the District Court.
He said that in their comments from the bench the judges had clearly moved from the judicial field into the political arena. Indeed, one judge had gone so far as to advocate that people should take to the streets in protest. "This is a very serious situation".
The Cathaoirleach, Mr Liam Naughten, interrupted the senator at this stage to point out that the matter was out of order and that the judiciary was separate from the political arena. Mr Enright replied that that was exactly why he was raising the matter.
He said there was a clear separation between the judiciary and the political arena. These two judges had moved into the political arena and that was unwise and dangerous. What they stated was not part of their judicial function, Mr Enright said.
Mr Dick Roche (FF) said he agreed with Mr Enright and added that judges nowadays were beginning to meander into the political field. While he welcomed their expressing their views he felt it was time that the Houses of the Oireachtas were unfettered to express their views about judges.
The Leader of the House, Mr Maurice Manning, said he also was astonished to read some of the self indulgent outbursts which had appeared from the two judges mentioned in recent times. This, in one case, he felt virtually amounted to incitement.
Concern was expressed at the reported lack of resources in the Chief State Pathologist's office.
Mr Joe O'Toole (Ind) said people believed that this important office was fully resourced. In the vast majority of serious cases, he said, the technical evidence from the Chief State Pathologist's office was quite crucial to the production of evidence for the conviction of criminals.
Mr O'Toole called for a brief debate or a statement from the Minister for Justice.
Mr Brendan Daly (FF) said the public would be shocked and horrified at the disclosures from the State Pathologist about the chronic state of forensic pathology in his department.
"These disclosures raise very serious questions in relation to the ability of the State to function properly in this area, which is very central to some of the problems of justice," he said.
Mr Eddie Haughey (FF), calling for support for the Chief State Pathologist's office, said the situation was at such a stage that on occasion the pathologist had to pay his own way to attend international conferences.
The Seanad adjourned until Tuesday next at 2.30 p.m.