asked the Minister for Justice if he will consider taking power to prohibit the publication by newspapers of lists of the values of the estate of deceased persons.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Deceased Persons Estates.
42.
Section 42 of the Succession Act, 1965, provides, inter alia, for inspection of documents in the probate office. It would require an amendment of the law to meet the Deputy's wishes and so far, at any rate, I have had no reason given to me as to why I should take any action.
Would the Minister not agree that this type of information is not news but is the worst type of gossip and very often it gives an inaccurate picture of the estates of deceased persons?
I agree that sometimes it happens but the advantages of wills and probates being public documents would seem to outweigh the disadvantages. The question was gone into very fully at the time of the Succession Bill and it was decided to leave the law as it always had been.
Would the Minister not agree that access to this information could be left undisturbed, that all that is required is to prohibit its publication?
If I were to make an attempt to dictate to newspapers as to whether or not they should publish information of this kind I think it would be resented as an interference with the freedom of the press. I do feel that in some cases if the family concerned would be embarrassed by publication the newspaper editors might exercise their discretion, and I think they do.