Alan Shatter vindicated: Ruling another blow for Enda Kenny

YESTERDAY’S Court of Appeal victory for Alan Shatter in his challenge to the findings of the 2014 Guerin Report is vindication for a man, who, as his ministerial career came to a premature end, must have wondered what he had done to be so isolated and abandoned by the party he had served for his entire political life. 

The ruling comes on top of the earlier report from Mr Justice Kevin O’Higgins, which completely cleared Mr Shatter of any wrongdoing in his handling of the allegations made by Sgt Maurice McCabe.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Mr Shatter, a progressive and reforming minister for justice, was hounded from office because of public opinion driven by strident commentary — including some in this newspaper — but the decisive intervention came from his long-time political ally and leader Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

There may be some indication of the great, permanent forces at work on this issue in how Mr Shatter’s successor, the current Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald shamefully emasculated his Legal Services Bill, a reforming document prompted by a troika recognition of how Irish legal culture is an impediment to growth and accesible justice.

The ruling will add to the pressure on Mr Kenny to end his leadership as it confirms he made a significant misjudgement, put political expediency before everything else, and treated one of his best ministers with gross disloyalty.