Green Party condemns judge's reckless shotgun comments

Press Release: Justice 15 March 2007

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15 March 2007

Green Party condemns judge's reckless shotgun comments

The Green Party has said it is shocked and appalled at comments made by a district judge at a sitting of Monaghan Court last week. The Party called on Judge Sean McBride to retract his statement that if he had a shotgun, he would blow the head off anyone who came into his home.

Green Party Justice spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD said: "I am shocked and appalled that a member of the judiciary would feel it appropriate to publicly make such reckless and negligent comments. To advocate blowing the head off someone coming into one's property sends all the wrong signals to the general public. I am calling on Judge McBride to retract these comments and to offer a complete and abject apology for the harm done.

"Such despicable comments add weight to the argument that the bill on defence of private property, published yesterday by the Minister for Justice, is offering a license to kill to trigger-happy members of the public. If a judge feels that he already has a right to shoot on sight, I dread to think what may happen if Minster McDowell's Criminal Law (Defence of Life and Property) Bill 2007 is enacted "