Madam, - Amid all the comment about the so-called "Rossport Five" a key point regarding our democratic structures has received little attention: the role of the High Court and Mr Justice Finnegan. I have been disappointed at how some politicians, with only a parish-pump mentality, have failed to defend the role of the courts and the respect that is owed to them.
The courts are a safety net for all of us. Each of us is entitled to vindicate our rights there against any other, including the Government itself. This is a right we should guard with great care - indeed, the necessity for this was made clear again in recent days when a Government Minister had the audacity to berate those who would seek aid from the courts, acting fully within their rights, and accuse them of stealing taxpayers' money by doing so.
If individuals are allowed to ignore the orders of the court, only anarchy can prevail. The pressure on Mr Justice Finnegan to do the "popular thing" and release the men must be immense, but he has to withstand this and demand that they purge their contempt. The message must go out to every one of us that when the court gives an instruction, it will be obeyed. It is because of this certainty that any of us can approach the court and seek orders of our own, knowing that the long history of respect for our courts in this country and the determination of judges to see orders obeyed is our guarantee that rulings, once made, will mean something.
What needs defending here is the authority of the courts. It isn't acceptable that politicians with only the next election as their point of reference should fail to do this. - Yours, etc,
T GERARD BENNETT, Templeroan Park, Dublin 16.
A chara, - Ba mhaith linn ár dtacaíocht agus ár gcomhbhá a chur in iúl do Chúigear Ros Dumhach atá faoi choinneáil i bPríosún Chnoc na Seimre faoi láthair.
Tá díomá agus alltacht orainn go bhfuil saoránaigh na hÉireann á gcaitheamh isteach sa bpríosún ar mhaithe le brabús a dhéanamh do Shell, comhlucht idirnáisiúnta príobháideach.
Seo an chéad uair a ghabh a stáit seilbh éigeantach ar thalamh ar mhaithe le comhlucht príobháideach. Ní hamháin go mbeidh a gcuid talamh tógtha, beidh baol an bháis ar an bpobal áitiúil i Ros Dumhach má éiríonn leis an Stát agus le Shell.
Is breá an rud go bhfuil spiorad Michael Davitt agus Chumann na Talún beo i gCo Mhaigh Eo fós - agus tá súil againn go leanfaidh an chuid eile den tír iad. Éilímid go dtarraingeodh Shell siar ó Mhaigh Eo agus go scaoilfear Cúigear Ros Dumhach saor ar an bpointe. - Is muide,
MÁIRE NÍ BHEAGLAOICH, SEÁN MAC SUIBHNE, PÁDRAIG BREANDÁN Ó RAGHALLAIGH, TADHG Ó CONGHAILE, TADHG Ó CRUADHLAOICH, EIBHLÍN NÍ PHRÍOSÁIN, An tIonad Buail Isteach, Connolly Books, Baile Átha Cliath 1.