Curtin case could cost taxpayer another €1m

MOVES to impeach Judge Brian Curtin could end up costing taxpayers a further €1 million.

The news emerged today as the Oireachtas intensified its probe into his activities.

The issue of legal fees was set to dominate a meeting of the joint committee of TDs and senators as it resumed hearings to gather evidence for the possible removal of the judge from his position.

A sources told the Irish Examiner the cost of the Oireachtas investigation, which began two years ago, could eventually top 1m when the fees of international expert witnesses and legal teams on both sides are added up.

Lawyers acting for Judge Curtin were expected to press for the State to foot his legal bills at the committee hearing.

The Oireachtas inquiry was set up after the Circuit Court judge was suspected of possessing child pornography in April 2004. It was subsequently ruled the gardaí had improperly executed a search warrant that led to the seizure of a personal computer allegedly containing downloaded pornographic images of children.

Earlier this month the Supreme Court awarded Judge Curtin half of the costs of the High Court and Supreme Court challenges he took contesting the procedures adopted by the Oireachtas to remove him from office.

According to the court, he was entitled to these costs because he had raised “novel but crucial constitutional questions”.

The question of his costs in the joint Dáil and Seanad process also enters uncharted constitutional territory.

The committee has been in detailed correspondence with Judge Curtin’s lawyers over the handing over of his personal computer, which gardaí currently have.

Committee chairman Denis O’Donovan TD said he was concerned the computer had still not been presented to the committee.

“We are well aware of the public concern at the fact the computer has still not been handed over. The order for it to be produced is there and we will certainly be discussing this at the committee. It is high time it was handed over. We will be appointing an internationally respected expert to look at the contents of the computer.”

Mr O’Donovan said that his hope was that the committee would be in a position to provide its report to the Oireachtas by the end of July, paving the way for the impeachment motion to be debated in early autumn.

Some other issues involving process, including the possibility of the judge addressing a combined assembly of the Dáil and Seanad, also need to be ironed out at the committee.

Labour justice spokesman Brendan Howlin has called for a radical reform of the judicial system to allow cases such as the Curtin one to be dealt with more quickly and transparently in future.