Seanad report:The danger of manipulation of victim impact statements in collusion with certain sections of the media was very real, Eoghan Harris (Ind) said. At the same time, there was a need to know how victim impact statements fitted into the scenario whereby judges came to conclusions.
Mr Harris was commenting on the concerns expressed by Mr Justice Paul Carney in relation to the making of one such statement by the mother of a boy who was killed by a neighbour. It was very important that the judge had made his comments in his address to the law society in University College Cork.
"Far too often judges keep their minds opaque to themselves and just talk to their peers over the port. I hope that the House will commend him for his approach in speaking out and letting us know the way his mind works on such an important subject."
Ivor Callely (FF) said that the victim impact statement of Majella Holohan about the death of her son had had a huge impact. Mr Justice Carney was probably right in addressing the issue.
"I am not too sure I would agree with every line he said and that Wayne O'Donoghue has no future in this country of ours. I would certainly disagree."
Ronan Mullen (Ind) said that the judge had rightly pointed out that abuse of the victim impact statement procedure could damage the very delicate balance that had to be preserved in the context of the presumption of innocence.