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The Lord Chief Justice today took part in a question and
answer session with 6th form students from two Dungannon
schools - The Royal School Dungannon and St Patrick’s
Academy.
The event, which took place in The Royal School, was
focussed on the topic of “Doing Justice according to
Law”. The Lord Chief Justice discussed what justice
means, and gave the students some insight into the role
of the judge, which is to do justice according to the
law without either imposing his or her own view on what
is right. Listing some everyday freedoms which can be
taken for granted, from free debate in class to freedom
of movement in NI and further afield, the Lord Chief
Justice reflected on the rule of law, which enables the
public to have those liberties.
The Lord Chief Justice also talked about the
constitutional structures which allow people here to
enjoy those freedoms, including the important principle
of the independence of the judiciary which means that
judges must be impartial between the parties, and
independent of the influence of the government or any
other organisation in society. Beneath this lies the
separation of powers between the government, those who
make the laws and the judiciary:
“In practice, the separation of powers means, among
other things, that members of the government should not
try to influence the outcome of cases, or to demand that
judges account to them for the decisions they have
taken. The opposite restriction is also true. The
judiciary should not comment on matters of policy which
a properly for the elected institutions.”
The students listened keenly as the Lord Chief Justice
urged them to be proactive and find out more about the
legal profession and different areas of law. He noted
that times are hard for the legal profession in Northern
Ireland and that many of the old certainties of legal
practice are being swept away. Nonetheless, students
serious about a legal career could use work placements,
court visits and keeping up to date with the newspapers
to prepare themselves for what a legal career would
involve.
The Lord Chief Justice encouraged the students to get
involved in issues they cared about and to join
voluntary organisations dealing with justice issues.
The Lord Chief Justice’s speech was followed by a very
animated question and answer session. He faced a wide
array of questions ranging from human rights to phone
hacking to the use of juries in criminal trials.
The event formed part of a flourishing programme of
shared events which has seen the two schools working in
partnership over the past 2 years as part of the Sharing
Education Programme funded by The Atlantic
Philanthropies and the International Fund for Ireland
and administered through Queen’s University Belfast. It
builds upon a series of projects that the schools have
already taken forward together including joint History
conferences, outward bound expeditions under the Duke of
Edinburgh Award Scheme, an art exhibition in Dungannon
and a forthcoming Irish History Conference. The Lord
Chief Justice said it was a pleasure to meet the
students. He added that at a recent Law Society event he
reminded solicitors of the importance of a full and
balanced life in creating a rich and thriving community
where they work and live. He continued:
“I clearly have no need to say the same thing to you,
because this [event] is a perfect picture of what I was
trying to convey.”
The Lord Chief Justice concluded by wishing all the
students the very best in their exams and choice of
future career.
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