2 2 March 2016
POLITICS
Unruly
The fragile rule of law
in Ireland
by David Langwallner
Everyone is for it, but there
are contrasting convictions
about what it is
W
hatismeantbytheRuleofLawandis
such a concept honoured in Ireland
today?Ibelievethattheruleoflaw
thougharguablyanunqualiedgoodis
notbeingadheredtointhisstatesave
mostlybythejudiciaryandthatthelegalsystemand
erraticobservanceoflegalitybystateofcialsrenders
ourdemocracyfragile.InmyviewIrelanddrawsclose
tothatamorphousnotion,afailedstatethatcannotin
realityupholdtheruleoflaw.Thisopinionpiecewillnot
beacomprehensivepathologybutwillpointoutmany
ofthesalientpracticalfeatureswhichshowhowthe
ruleoflawisbreakingdown.
The Rule of Law: Theoretical
Incoherence?
Werstneedtoprobethemanysensesinwhichthe
ruleoflawisdescribed.
JosephRaz,alegalpositivistwhobelievesin“per-
fectionistliberalism”hassuggestedthattheruleoflaw
ismerelyakindofshorthanddescriptionofthepositive
aspectsofanygivenpoliticalsystem.Fromadifferent
vantagepointthefundamentalistChristianlegalphi-
losopherJohnFinnisconsidersthattheruleoflawis:
“[t]he name commonly given to the state of affairs in
which a legal system is legally in good shape”.
AnotherphilosopherBrianTamanahachimestoneg-
ative effect that the rule of law is “an exceedingly
elusive notion”whichleadsto“rampant divergence of
understandings”andissimilartotheamorphouscon-
cept of Good in that “everyone is for it, but has
contrasting convictions about what it is”.
Atbottom,thereisnoconsensus:itiselusiveatbest:
aformofsmokescreenorprofessionalhypocrisyat
worst.Butletusendeavourtobeconstructive.
For example Carothers, though sceptical, adds a
worthwhilepositivedenitionoftheruleoflawas:
‘a system in which the laws are public knowledge, are
clear in meaning, and apply equally to everyone. They
enshrine and uphold the political and civil liberties that
have gained status as universal human rights over the
last half-century. In particular, anyone accused of a
crime has the right to a fair, prompt hearing and is pre-
sumed innocent until proved guilty. The central
institutions of the legal system, including courts, pros-
ecutors, and police, are reasonably fair, competent, and
efficient. Judges are impartial and independent, not
subject to political influence or manipulation. Perhaps
most important, the government is embedded in a com-
prehensive legal framework, its officials accept that the
March 2016 2 3
law will be applied to their own conduct, and the govern-
ment seeks to be law-abiding”.
Nowletusstress-testcertainaspectsofthisdetailed
expurgationagainstthepatient-inthiscontextIreland
Inc.
Yesofcourserightsexistinourstillne,ifshop-
worn,constitutionalmatrixandareenforcedbythe
courtsinmanyinstancesbutthereisalsoanunduedef-
erence to the executive that has led to the
non-enforcementofsocialandeconomicrightsparticu-
larlytherighttohousingbythecourts.Thereisan
excessofjudicialcautiononotherrights-basedclaims,
particularlywhereissuesofnancialiniquityandthe
countervailingamorphousblob,publicpolicy,areimpli-
cated.Thereisalsowidespreadviolationofprivacyby
thestateanditspoliceforce,inparticular.Theoverly
sanguinewayweasanationhaveaccepted,ineffect,
whathasbeenpoliceandstatecriminalitywithrespect
toprivacyforthelastthirtyyearswithoutwidespread
outcry is bafing. At least there are signals of an
upsurgeincivildisobedience,whichwhenpeaceful,as
Habermas,theGermansociologistofcriticaltheoryand
pragmatist,wouldcontend,leadstoavitalisationof
democracy.Nothere.Further,thescandalthatisour
bankingstructures,thedisgraceofthebanksvarying
interest-raterepaymentsinbreachofagreements,the
sometimesunconscionableevictions,arenotcontermi-
nouswiththeruleoflaw.NAMAisamessformulated
bytheneo-liberalclubwhichdiditsbesttoavoida
proper new deal for the Irish people. The banking
inquirywasapoorlyperformedFrenchfarce.
Whatisdesperatelyneededisarighttohousing.Evic-
tionshouldberare,requirerehousing,andshouldonly
followmeaningfulinterventionbyanarbitratorwhocan
determinewhethertheconsumercanrepayandwhether
thebank–withorwithouttheenlistmentofavulture
fund-isbundlingthemortgageatabargain-basement
ratetoprivate-lawproteers.
There is undue deference
to the executive and
the non-enforcement
of social and economic
rights particularly the right
to housing, a minimum
standard of living and
healthcare, by the courts
2 4 March 2016
POLITICS
Further,manyofourstateinstitutionshave
majorstructuralproblems.TheGardaarenot
progressiveintrainingandintent:theydonot
seekjusticeorthetruth,butratheraresult.
They,attimesspin,embellishoratworst,man-
ufactureevidence–and,tobecandid,attimes
actcriminallyandinviolationoftheruleoflaw.
Finally,therearelimitedindependentchecks
andfartoocloseanexusbetweenpoliticians
andthepolice
Therecentmovingofthedeckchairsbythe
GardaCommissionerwillnotchangetheculture
ortrainingoftheforce,itsgroupthinkor,argu-
ably,itscompetence.Itneedsaradicalovehaul
andaredirectionsoprimarilypromotestruth-
seeking,investigativeprocess.
The impartiality and independenceof our
judiciaryneedsattimestobeseverelyques-
tionedbecausethereisfartoocloseanexus
betweenpoliticsand judicialappointments.
Thoughmostareappointedonmerit,manyof
ourjudgesareappointedfortheirproximityto
politicalparties.Further,somejudgeshavean
aggrandised sense of themselves: certainly
theyarenotservantsofthestateasthatisnot
ajudicialfunction,butrather,theyaretheserv-
antsoftheconstitutionwhichisabulwarkto
protectthepeopleagainststateexcess.Judges
alsoneed,intheinterestofpubliccondence
astotheirimpartiality,todeclaretheirshare-
holdingsandindebtednesstothebanks.
Moreover,partsofthegovernmentleftitself
open to the accusation, duringthe bugging
crisis,thatitwasalsomiredincorruption.In
thestrictestsenseitobservedtheruleoflaw
but,inmanner,itlaiditselfopentothecriticism
levelledelsewherebythelategreatChristopher
Hitchens ofbeingcrypto-fascist,pursuinga
formoffascistauthoritarianismbutseekingto
concealwhatitreallyis.
The Contribution of Lord
Bingham:
LordBinghaminacelebrated2007lecture
developedthefollowingrulesastowhatcon-
stitutestheruleoflaw.
First,thegeneralruleandthecoreoftherule
oflawaccordingtothejudgeisthat:
“all persons and authorities within the state,
whether public or private, should be bound by,
and entitled to, the benefit of laws publicly and
prospectively promulgated and publicly admin-
istered in the courts”.
Itshouldbenotedthatsucharuleisviolated
whenretroactivelegislationispassedoraret-
roactive decision reached as happens
-regardlessoftheirperspicacityasamatterof
policy.Judgesdeferringtothemobbreachthe
ruleoflaw.
Lord Bingham then developed eight sub-
rulesfromtheabovegeneralstatement,allof
whichmeritcloseattentionanddelineation.
First,thejudgestatedthelawmustbeacces-
sibleandsofaraspossibleintelligible,clear
andpredictable.Alegalnorm,thejudgeindi-
cates, must disclose to a citizen what is
adequateinthecircumstancesofagivencase.
Thejudgesuggestsincontrastthatanormis
notlawunlessitisformulatedwithsufcient
precisiontoenablethecitizentoregulatehis
conduct.
Inthisrespectthelayersofambiguityand
discretion inherent in, say, the Proceeds of
CrimeAct1996,whichallowsfortheconsca-
tionofassetstheoreticallywithoutchargeon
thesay-soofaseniorpoliceofcial,isbizarre.
Ihavealwaysfelt,andcontinuemuchmoreso
now,tofeel thatit is notinanymeaningful
senselaw,norcanitbeadministeredfairlyin
lightofthepracticesofthepoliceforce.Further,
Theover-relianceonpolicycriteriaand.Adis-
equilibrium in the public nances is not an
argumenttodiscountoraclaimofrights.Iam
shamelesslyDworkineaninthisrespect:issues
ofprinciplemustalwaystrumppolicyandbudg-
etary considerations if we are to formally
adheretotheruleoflaw.
Secondly,thoughBinghamdoesacceptsome
needfordiscretionarydecision-making,ingen-
eralquestionsoflegalrightandliabilityshould
ordinarilyberesolvedbyapplicationofthelaw
andnottheexerciseofdiscretion.
Discretionistooprevalentafeatureinour
unregulatedandunstructuredsentencingpoli-
cies and, for that matter, our family courts
whereanycontesteddisputeisweightedheav-
ilyagainsttheconstitutionallyunder-protected,
unmarriedfather.Thefamilycourtsareoften,
inmyview,thecrucibleoffalseandfabricated
allegations Discretion at a different level is
exercisedbytheGardanotleastinthepenalty-
pointsscandal.
Thethirdrulethejudgeenunciatesiseffec-
tivelyequalityinsofaras:
‘the laws of the land should apply equally to
all, save to the extent that objective differences
justify differentiation.”
Wellofcoursewedonotapplylawsequally,
Firstly,anon-citizenisdeprivedofequality
beforethelawandanasylum-seeker,nowsub-
jecttothequasi-internmentofdirectprovision.
Secondly,theprovisothesecondsentenceof
theequalityclausehasbeenutilisedtojustify
thetrulydisgracefulaforementionedconstitu-
tional discrimination against the unmarried
fatherwhohasbeennonrecognisedasacon-
stitutionalentityeversinceNicolaou v An Board
Uchtala (1966),adecisionsobizarreitbelongs
tothelaterpartsoftheVictorianera.Third,the
human persons doctrine has been used to
excludefromtheremitoftheequalityclause
educational and economic discrimination.
Issuesofsubstantiveinequalitysofundamen-
taltosuchseminalUSdecisionsasBrown v
Board of Education and Tapekaarethusnot
adjudicable.
As for substantive equality, our attitudes
towardnon-nationalsandTravellersnotleast
inasignicantnumberofcriminalprosecutions
whichareanalltooprevalentfeatureofinno-
cenceprojectcases,isderisive.Theslashand
burnattitudetowardsfundingofsocialservices
demeanssociety.
Thefourthruleiscontroversial-thatthelaw
mustaffordadequateprotectionoffundamen-
talhumanrights.
Thejudgeacceptsthattheleadingrule-of-
lawscholarDiceyincludednosuchsubstantive
contentintheruleoflawand,accordingto
JosephRaz,anon-democraticsystemwhich
violateshumanrightsmaystillconformtothe
ruleoflaw.Nonetheless,internationalinstitu-
tionsprotectinghumanrightsdoemphasise
theruleoflaw.ThusthepreambletotheUniver-
salDeclarationofHumanRights1948recites
that“itisessential,ifmanisnottobecom-
pelledtohave recourse,as a lastresort,to
rebellionagainsttyrannyandoppression,that
humanrightsshouldbeprotectedbytherule
oflaw.”
Ofcourseeversincethejudicialmistakeof
O’Reilly v Limerick CorporationtheIrishcourts
have persistently refused to recognise the
rightstofood,shelter,andhousing(anincreas-
inglypressingissue),aminimumstandardof
The scandal that is our
banking structures is not
conterminous with the
rule of law
As for substantive
equality, our attitudes
toward non-nationals
and Travellers is derisive
March 2016 2 5
livingandhealthcare.Theyare,ofcourse,not
legallyboundtoreachthisresult.Forexample,
theIndianconstitutionalcourt,whichinterprets
adocumentmodelled onourown,hasread
theminpositivelyundertherubricoftheright
tolife(Article21).TheCanadiansintheircharter
(Article7)havealsoreadthemundertheright
tolifeandsecurityoftheperson.Manyother
countriesfollowsuitbutliketheatearthsoci-
etywestandalone.
Thereisalsothenon-recognitionoftheright
toprocreativeautonomy,includingabortion
saveinthemostlimitedandhotlycontestedof
circumstances,andthenon-recognitionofthe
righttodie-tonamebuttwocivilandpolitical
rights.Inmyviewtheargumentforprocreative
autonomy and privacy-choice rights, even
thoughyoumaydisagreewithabortionmorally
andpersonallyasIdo,areirrefutableinasoci-
etythatpurportstobetolerantandliberal.Of
courseitiscontestablewhetheracourtshould
arrogatetoitselfsuchapowersaveperhapsin
the context of rapewhichwould involve, at
least,abalancingofinhumaneanddegrading
treatmentagainsttherighttolifeoftheunborn.
Finally, although we protect freedom of
speechthesanitisationofourdiscourse,the
mass-media packaging of thought and the
internalcernsorshipaboutwhatcanandcannot
besaidbyeventhequalitypressand,aboveall,
theintolerablegutterpress,whichdemandsa
workableprivacystatute,scarcelyleadstoan
enlightenmentsaloncultureorthecreationof
a Habermasean exchange based on ideal
speechandcommunicativeaction.
Thefthsenseinwhichthejudgeevokesthe
ruleoflawisthat“means must be provided for
resolving, without prohibitive cost or inordinate
delay, bona fide civil disputes which the parties
themselves are unable to resolve”.Thisentails
arighttogotocourtandperhapsstatespon-
soredsupportinexercisingthatright.
Isthispracticallyenforced?Thelistsystem
downtheFourCourtsisinsomerespects a
shambles and the culture of adjournments
endemic.Thecostoflitigationisoftenprohibi-
tivewithmanyseniorcounseltakingacarte
blanchetochargewhateverinatedgurethey
wish.TheBarCouncilisabodythathasnot
servedtheinterestsornancialstabilityofthe
juniorbarbyitsoppositiontothelegalservices
bill.
Further,thereis,ofcourse,noabsoluteright
tocivillegalaidleadingtohugeinequalityof
armsbetweenbanksandoftenlaylitigantswho
cannot afford legal representation, and the
wheelsof justicemoveat a grindinglyslow
pace.Iamalsoinfavourofadenedcaponthe
feesthatcanbechargedandtheneedtoensure
thatworkismoreevenlydistributed.
Sixthly,thejudgesuggeststhatatthecoreof
theruleoflawistheidea“thatministersand
publicofcersatalllevelsmustexercisethe
powersconferredonthemreasonably,ingood
faith,forthepurposeforwhichthepowerswere
conferredandwithoutexceedingthelimitsof
suchpowers.”
Thejudgeindicatesthatthissub-ruleencom-
passesjudicialreview.
Thereismountingandsignicantevidence
thatthiswasnotinsubstanceduringthebug-
gingcrisis.
Seventhly,thejudgesuggeststhatadjudica-
tiveproceduresshouldbesubstantivelyfair
andthatjusticemustnotonlybedonebutbe
seentobedoneandnotbedonebehindclosed
doors.
I have largely shied clear from criticising
judgesexceptforcriticismsofsomedecisions
andinmyviewthejudicialsystemdoescomply
withproceduralfairnessandisourgreatest
hope at the higher levels but that is not to
negateexcessivedeferencetowardsthebanks,
thehegemonyofconservativejudgeswithnar-
rownessofbackgroundandlifeexperienceas
wellastiestopoliticalparties.Judgesshould
bedenedlyapolitical.
Finally,thejudgesuggeststhattheruleof
law“requires compliance by the state with its
obligations in international law, the law which
whether deriving from treaty or international
custom and practice governs the conduct of
nations”.
In this respect we do not, as a matter of
domesticlawbecauseweareadualiststate,
comply or incorporate international instru-
mentsintoourdomesticlaw.Asanexception
tothiswedidofcourseincorporatetheEuro-
pean Convention on Human Rights but in a
parlousandimpoverishedmannersuchthatin
realityasismadeclearintherecentGormley
casedecisionsoftheECHRaremerelyofper-
suasivepowerwhichwearefreetodiscardat
willaconstructionatoddswiththepracticeof
theUKSupremeCourtamongothers.
TheMarxistviewontheruleoflawwasput
thusbythecelebratedhistorianEPThompson
“The rule of law is only another mask for the
rule of a class. The revolutionary can have no
interest in law, unless as a phenomenon of rul-
ing-class power and hypocrisy; it should be his
aim simply to overthrow it”.
Though Thompson himself in contrast
believedthattheruleoflawwasanunqualied
good it thatit can checkarbitrarypower to
whichmyresponseisisthatiswhatthejudges
shouldbedoing.
IninvokingMarxismitmightbenotedthatwe
donothaveasocial-democraticcultureandare
inslavetoaneoliberalcapitalistorthodoxy
reinforcedbytheadventoftwonewneo-liberal
electoralforcesatGeneralElection2016with
nocoherentelectablesocialdemocraticchoice.
Conclusions:
Iamabelieverintheinherentgoodnessof
theruleoflawinallofthesensesinvokedby
ThomsonandBinghamasfarascourtscheck-
ingarbitrary power is concerned. However,
politicians, along with aspects of the state
includingtheHSEandthepolice,aredysfunc-
tionalatbestandinsomeinstancescorruptand
worse.Thereislimitedsubstantiveadherence
bythoseorganstotheruleoflawinIreland
today.
TheproblemisIseescantobservanceofit
exceptfromthelegalbenchesinIrelandtoday
andIamnotoptimisticabsentapopulardis-
sensus leading to a democratic revolution
which wouldgernerateaproper functioning
socialdemocracy.
Wearenearlythere-afailedstateonthe
anniversaryof1916.
David Langwallner is Dean of the Faculty of
Law, Griffith College, Dublin
Parts of the
government, during
the bugging crisis,
became crypto-fascist

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