Madam, - Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, in a speech given in Limerick last Friday, proposed "to review some of the principles underlining criminal trials in Ireland" (The Irish Times, October 21st).
In this regard he announced "the establishment of a group to review the operation of the law to see if it leaned too far in favour of the criminal" and further alluded to the possibility "that the needs, concerns and rights of victims of crime may have unintentionally become secondary to the rights and protections for the criminal."
May I point out that these "rights and protections" are in fact rights and protections afforded not to the criminal but to the accused, who cannot be deemed innocent or guilty (ie criminal) until after the evidentiary aspects of the trial have been concluded?
Mr McDowell's confusion of "the criminal" for "the accused" in both of the two quotations above indicate he is wearing a blindfold which has nothing in common with that worn by the classical personification of justice.
The sooner the electors of Dublin South-East give him his marching orders the better for the cause of justice in Ireland. - Yours, etc,
PETER NELSON, Upper Kilmacud Road, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin.