Legal sources interpreted Mr Justice Woulfe’s decision to retain Michael Collins SC as a sign the judge is prepared to defend himself in the review undertaken by former chief justice Susan Denham. She is looking into his attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner on August 19th.
The dinner, attended by more than 80 people, went ahead despite Covid-19 public health guidelines that limit indoor gatherings.
The Irish Times is reporting that Mr Justice Woulfe has also sought advice from another former attorney general, John Rogers SC, as Ms Justice Denham is examining whether the judge should have attended the golf dinner at the Station House Hotel in Clifden, Co Galway.
“He is preparing for a fight. You don’t engage Michael Collins or John Rogers if you are about to throw the white towel into the ring,” said one legal source.
Mr Collins declined to comment. Mr Rogers and Mr Justice Woulfe did not respond to requests for comment by The Irish Times
Ms Justice Denham has been asked by the Supreme Court to carry out a non-statutory review of the judge’s attendance at the event because the Judicial Council Act that establishes a judicial complaints mechanism and guidelines on the conduct of judges has not yet been commenced.
The legal world is divided over Mr Justice Woulfe’s attendance at the dinner, with some arguing privately that he has undermined the judiciary and should resign, while others say his apology should suffice and resignation would be disproportionate to the scale of his error of judgment.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that the Oireachtas Golf Society will change its name but will not disband.
According to the Irish Independent, an email written last night said that the society will most likely remove the word Oireachtas from its title following the recent Golfgate scandal.
In a statement on the first day of the return of the Dáil following the summer recess, Ceann Comhairle Sean O Feargháil called the decision by those who attended the event "collective crass stupidity or arrogant delusion".
He said that the society should disband.
