Judge apologises for ‘improper’ remark

A CIRCUIT court judge yesterday apologised for an “improper” remark to a Nigerian woman who appeared before his court last month.

Judge Harvey Kenny’s apology came as another judge became embroiled in a race relations controversy. The judge was widely criticised after he told Burry Abebanjo: “I don’t think any Nigerian is obeying the law of the land when it comes to driving.”

Ms Abebanjo was appealing penalties in two separate cases of driving without insurance.

Judge Kenny, sitting at the Circuit Court in Castlebar yesterday, withdrew his remarks and apologised to Ms Abebanjo.

He told her: “When you were before my court on January 14, I made what I now realise was an improper comment about Nigerians driving around without proper insurance, and saying that you were lucky in not going to jail. I wish, now, to withdraw the remark and apologise to you for the offence such a remark caused.”

At a district court hearing in Longford last week, Judge John Neilan warned two women from the Ivory Coast that shopping centres in the area would ban “coloured people” entering their stores if a spate of shoplifting in the county continued.

The two women were appearing before the court on shoplifting charges.

As the National Consultative Committee on Racism criticised Judge Neilan and demanded an apology, Longford Chamber of Commerce distanced local businesses from the judge’s remarks.

Dáil deputies and civil liberty groups yesterday demanded the setting up of a board to monitor the conduct of the Judiciary. Tánaiste Mary Harney assured Labour leader Pat Rabbitte that the Judicial Conduct and Ethics Bill would be published next year.

Aisling Reidy, director of the Irish Council of Civil Liberties, yesterday criticised Judge Neilan for failing to issue an apology but commended Judge Kenny for taking appropriate action.