Mr Justice MacMenamin: Equal access to justice leads to ‘better democracy’
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Mr Justice MacMenamin
Access to justice “not only makes for better law, but for better democracy”, Mr Justice John MacMenamin told law students from across Europe at a conference in Dublin.
The Supreme Court judge delivered the Brian Lenihan Memorial Address at the 12th Annual Law Student Colloqium at Trinity College Dublin on Saturday.
The event saw postgraduates and undergraduates from Ireland, the UK and Europe gather to discuss current legal issues.
Speaking on the theme of access to justice, Mr Justice MacMenamin noted that equal access to justice is an essential component of a “functioning democracy”.
Pictured: Ms Justice Patricia Ryan, Mr Justice John MacMenamin and Professor Mark Bell with committee members of the colloquium
He lamented the fact that courts often have up to a third of litigants representing themselves, and spoke of the difficulties where litigants are just above the threshold for legal aid but cannot afford representation.
Chief Justice Frank Clarke recently called for a “significant review” of the income thresholds used to determine eligibility for civil legal aid.
Mr Justice MacMenamin welcomed the efforts to make court procedures simpler, and the increased use of technology within the courts system to make it more accessible.
The memorial address commemorated the late Brian Lenihan’s contribution to Irish public life as well as his connection to the law school where he was a both a student and lecturer.
The address was attended by Ms Justice Patricia Ryan, the late Mr Lenihan’s wife, as well as family, friends, colleagues, and staff and students of the law school.
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