George Mitchell and Queen’s University

Sir, – I do not go along with the argument that because former senator George Mitchell played a pivotal role in the making of the Belfast Agreement, he should therefore be absolved from responsibility for misdeeds he may have committed. But here’s the rub. Is there convincing evidence of really serious wrongdoing? It is not there in the rather threadbare justification my university issued earlier this week.

The huge tranches of emails, heavily redacted as they are and often devoid of context, will take time to analyse and assess. Further information from other sources, pointing one way or the other, is likely to be coming down the line.

So, I find the rush to judgment puzzling. On the face of it, it seems more reflective of the herd instinct than the careful, dispassionate sifting of evidence for which universities are noted. – Yours, etc

LIAM KENNEDY,