Govt tables legislation to establish Curtin inquiry

The Government has tabled legislation in the Dáil aimed at forcing Judge Brian Curtin to appear before an Oireachtas inquiry investigating his conduct.

The legislation is needed because, at present, judges cannot be compelled to appear before such an inquiry.

Judge Curtin was acquitted of possessing child pornography last month. The garda warrant used to search his house was out of date.

A motion establishing an Oireachtas committee to investigate the matter is expected to be tabled by the Government next Tuesday.

Speaking at the beginning of the debate on the legislation, Government Chief Whip Mary Hanafin insisted that the independence of judges would not be compromised by the new law.

She said the legislation would only apply to the Judge Curtin situation and would not affect other judges.

“In all other circumstances, the exemption from compellability for judges in their capacity as judges will remain,” she said.

Labour Party TD Ruairi Quinn, however, expressed concern about the rushed nature of the legislation, saying it could lead to problems in the future.

Meanwhile, further emergency legislation exempting committee members from the terms of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act is also due to be tabled by the Government today.

The legislation is needed to allow committee members to view the images involved in the Curtin affair without fear of prosecution.