John Larkin Attorney General

Elections: a good time to bury controversial news?

| Readers 77

Over the last few days whilst we have all been engrossed in all things electoral a couple of somewhat controversial announcements have occurred with relatively little notice. On Wednesday just before the polls opened the PPS announced it was dropping all charges against flag protest leader Willie Frazer some 15 months after his initial arrest. Meanwhile on Thursday OFMDFM announced that John Larkin had been reappointed as attorney general. Elections: a good time to bury controversial if not necessarily bad …

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Haass – Larkin unrepentant, Allister is on the attack, but where oh where is the DUP critique?

| Readers 65

Now hold on, the fat lady hasn’t sung yet.  Inevitably most early reaction to Haaas is about the overall political verdict without going  much into detail. And you know how we can’t be bothered  to go into detail if we can stick  it into them instead. But hush!  Jim Allister QC has spoken. People tend to overawed by Jim’s legal expertise. But lawyers are advocates – even when they’re not self -interested  politicians –  and so should be taken with …

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Dealing with the Past. The lawyers must join John Larkin in speaking out

| Readers 105

The first thing to remember about John Larkin is that he’s an advocate.  Barristers make ingenious cases whether they believe in them or not.  In 2002, he was the Peter Robinson’s counsel before the law lords arguing – unsuccessfully as it happens – that the election of the FMDFM was legally invalid after the Alliance party temporarily changed designation and arguably saved the Assembly and perhaps the Agreement. It was a good thing that Larkin lost and he might well …

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