NOBODY in the Department of Justice had yet accepted responsibility for the litany of administrative mistakes, the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, told the Cabinet yesterday.
On the lapse of administrative procedures in the courts division surrounding the non-implementation of the Government decision of August 1st to remove Judge Dominic Lynch from the Special Criminal Court at his own request, the Minister reported, according to informed sources, that "nobody has yet put their hands up".
During an hour-long discussion on the latest controversy, Mrs Owen told her colleagues that her private secretary, Mr John O'Dwyer, had said he had referred the Attorney General's first letter, received on October 3rd, directly to the Department's courts division for attention. He had not shown it to her.
These sources said Mrs Owen was "remarkably combative for a person in her position" at the meeting. The question of her resignation was not discussed.
It is understood, meanwhile, that the Association of Higher Civil Servants wrote to the Minister for Justice on Monday seeking assurances that the character and good name of officials in the Department would be protected during the independent inquiry being conducted this week.
The AHCS was informed that, in the interests of natural justice, officials could be accompanied by a representative of their trade union while being questioned by Mr Sean Cromien and Dr Edmund Molloy," the two persons conducting the internal inquiry.
Mrs Owen has asked Mr Cromien and Dr Molloy to report to her by next Monday with the results of the inquiry. She is expected to bring that report to Cabinet next Tuesday.
The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, said yesterday the findings of the inquiry would be made available toe the Dail when Mrs Owen would submit herself to more questions on every aspect of the matter.
