Judge issues apology for 'improper comments'

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) this evening welcomed the decision from a Western Circuit Court judge to issue a direct apology to a Nigerian woman in regard to "improper" remarks he made while dealing with a case against her at Westport Circuit Court in January of this year.

At a sitting of the court last month, Mrs Bukky Abeganjo had been told by Judge Harvey Kenny that she should have been "put in jail" to spread the word around the Nigerian community "that if you must drive, you must have insurance".

This evening however, at a special sitting of the Circuit Court in Castlebar Judge Kenny apologised to Mrs Abebanjo. "When you were before me at the last court on the 14th January of this year," he said, "you were convicted and appealed against a conviction for no insurance.

"I made then what I now realise was an improper comment about Nigerians driving around without proper insurance and I made a remark you were lucky you were not going to jail.

"I wish now to withdraw those remarks and I want to apologise for making those remarks and I regret any hurt those remarks might have caused and I hope you can accept my apology".

Mrs Abebanjoy said she was prepared to accept his apology and after Judge Kenny thanked her for attending the court at such short notice the court was adjourned.

Ms Aisling Reidy, director of the ICCL, said that through his apology, Judge Kenney had "clearly put a distance between himself and the sort of comments made in the Longford District Court, and I very much welcome the initiative he has shown in issuing an apology to the woman involved".

Earlier today anti-racism campaigners criticised Judge John Neilan of the Longford District Court for suggesting shopping centres would ban "coloured people" entering their premises if a spate of shoplifting did not stop.

Asked whether he regretted making the remarks, Judge Neilan was quoted in the Irish Independentas saying it was "outrageous and insulting" to suggest there was anything insidious about his comments.

"It is of utmost importance that members of the judiciary exercise and are seen to exercise their powers without racial, gender or other bias or pre-conceptions," Ms Reidy said this evening.

"Comments like those in Longford undermine confidence that that is always the case. I would hope that the actions of Judge Kenny in apologising might set a precedent."