Sir, - Am I the only person amazed by the suggestion that anybody's opinion of Charles Haughey could be significantly influenced by the comments of anyone, even the Tanaiste?
Charles Haughey has always been one of the most polarising figures in public life in Ireland. It's difficult to believe that even a High Court judge could be so divorced from reality as to think that there was a significant number of people who were unbiased about Haughey before Mary Harney's comments, or that her comments would have much influence to those who are sympathetic to him.
Staying an action because the general public considers the defendant "notorious" sounds like a great recipe for freeing up the courts - but it isn't likely to instil public confidence in the legal system. - Yours, etc.,
Aengus Lawlor, Levittown, Pennsylvania, USA.
