Ahern sets clock ticking on Curtin's future

EMBATTLED Judge Brian Curtin has a week to explain his alleged accessing and downloading of child pornography or else face impeachment.

The judge will not get any pay-off to resign, or receive any compensation if he is impeached, and will only get a fraction of his pension rights if he steps down from his €130,000-a-year job.

Taking swift action to allay public concerns over the collapse of his trial, the Government wrote to the judge yesterday seeking an urgent response to the matters raised against him by the prosecution.