Sir, – I can't be the only reader appalled at the editorial of June 25th ("The Special Criminal Court – An admission of the State's failure").
Non-jury courts represent a success – and not a failure – of the State in protecting its citizens.
The State’s first duty is to protect its citizens and defend the State, and the State has devised the non-jury mechanism as a perfectly understandable solution to the problem of jury intimidation.
Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest that we cannot trust the judiciary to discharge their responsibilities in these cases with full integrity. Unless there is such evidence, or until the opponents of the status quo devise a credible mechanism to prevent jury intimidation, that status quo should continue. For my part, I’d like to see more covertly gathered evidence used in court, more raids by the Criminal Assets Bureau to hurt these groups where it matters most, and more convictions of these people by non-jury courts to make our citizens and communities feel protected. – Yours, etc,
DAVID WARREN,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.