Unfortunately, in dealing with this subject to-night I have not had an opportunity of getting the official report of the inspired words of the late Minister for Justice. For that reason it has seemed almost unbelievable to a considerable number of members of the House that Deputy Fitzgerald-Kenney could have said some of the things which I have suggested he has said. I want the House to remember that Deputy Fitzgerald-Kenney, for a period of two or three years, held in this House the position of Minister for Justice; that in that capacity he was responsible for the administration of justice and had a very special obligation to do those things and to abstain from doing those things the contrary of which would have brought justice into disrepute. There is no man in this House upon whom there lay a higher obligation to weigh every single word he said and every act he did or abstained from doing in the balance as to whether or not that act or that word would contribute to the maintenance of justice in this country and respect for the law. I say that on that Deputy lay a very special obligation to see that everything that in him lay should be done for the purpose of maintaining respect for law as law.
Very specially that obligation lay on him in relation to seeing that the officers of the law in the carrying out of their functions as officers of the law, the executive officers of the law, the Guards and people of that kind, in carrying out the orders of their superiors, should be respected. If there was one obligation upon him which was higher than that, it was an obligation to see that in relation to any case in which a man was accused or was likely to be accused before any court in this country, by no action of his should that case be prejudged. That obligation carries on from the time when he did fill the position of Minister for Justice to his present position as a responsible leader of even an irresponsible Opposition. I do not think there is any man in the House who will quarrel—I am perfectly sure the Deputy himself will not quarrel— with any single word I have said as defining his duty in the matter. I am now going to quote to the House one single sentence uttered by the Deputy, which will show that, in every single one of those characteristics, he was unfit to be Minister for Justice and is unfit now to be a responsible member of this House.
