D-day for Curtin as Cabinet decides his fate

THE Cabinet is set to call the bluff of Judge Brian Curtin today by considering proposals to sack the Circuit Court judge.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday ruled out any “sweetheart” pay-off deals for the judge if the Government decides to opt for impeachment.

But Mr Ahern indicated the Government would be making a firm decision on the action it will take against the judge after his refusal to resign from his position.

While Mr Ahern said he was not out to make life any more difficult for Judge Curtin, he confirmed there would be no compensation on offer if the Government chose impeachment as the appropriate way to deal with the situation. “I don’t think we can come up with any sweetheart arrangements,” he said.

The Government will examine the inadequate response received from the judge to the Government’s call for him to provide an explanation to the allegations of possession of child pornography, arising from his collapsed court case, and his future plans.

Attorney General Rory Brady will brief the Cabinet on the legal status of the Government’s position and the likely implications of impeachment.

Effectively arriving at the moment of truth in the ongoing stand-off between the Government and the judge, the Cabinet will consider whether to proceed with impeachment.

If the Government goes down the impeachment path, Judge Curtin’s options include accepting the procedure and defending himself in the Oireachtas or attempting a court challenge to block it with an injunction.

Considerable doubt still exists over the procedures to be employed in an unprecedented impeachment.

The Government may decide to assign the hearings to an Oireachtas committee of TDs and senators, who would issue a recommendation to be voted upon.

“That’s certainly an option the Cabinet can look at,” a Government spokesperson said last night.

Following this morning’s Cabinet meeting, Mr Ahern will face questions from opposition leaders on the chosen course of action.

But Mr Ahern will be anxious to get cross-party consensus if the impeachment process is to be adopted, in order to ensure the proceedings run smoothly.

In light of public concerns over the affair, opposition parties are unlikely to raise major objections to impeachment proposals.

The Disability Bill will also be on the agenda at the Cabinet meeting, but the Government is again expected to delay its publication by saying that yet more consultation with representative groups is required.