Rape sentence - A qualified welcome

The decision by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, that he would meet rape and incest victim Fiona Doyle, is to be welcomed.

The outcry that followed her father’s release pending an appeal after he admitted raping Ms Doyle over a decade demands nothing less.

It would be far more welcome, however, if it wasaccompanied by some sort of public recognition that we need to review how we influence our judges, our courts, and our judicial system without compromising their independence.

The separation of the executive and judiciary is entirely appropriate but that does not mean judges are anything other than the conduits through which the State and its citizens express their position on the behaviour of those brought before the courts.