Opinion Jim O’Callaghan: Governments should pick judges, not unelected and unaccountable bodiesThe President has referred the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill to the Supreme Court to consider whether it is unconstitutional – as it might well be, given the precedent it may set
Dublin Jim O’Callaghan: Dublin needs an accountable, elected leader with real powers Our great international city deserves powerful governance structures, subject to checks and balances, to oversee the capital’s operation and management
Legal Jim O’Callaghan: Hate Speech law is deeply problematic and confusing for our courts and GardaiThe hate crime bill could end up criminalising people because of ill-considered abusive comments made at the time of an offence, when in fact hatred did not motivate their offence; also the ‘other genders’ part of the bill needs revisiting
Northern Ireland Protocol Jim O’Callaghan: Government needs to reconsider softly-softly approach to Boris Johnson’s anticsConciliatory approach is not working and merely encourages a provocative UK government to keep pushing its demands on the Withdrawal Agreement and Northern Ireland Protocol
Jim O’Callaghan: The real enemy is the polarising of our politics and the cutting out of the vital middle groundAll of this country’s best achievements have come from the centre, and it should not be abandoned for short-term populist gains
We are asking too much of our younger generation in this fight Comment: If we continue to burden young people with guilt-laden restrictions, we will foment deep resentment
SF and the elephant with the armalite in the roomIrish people are very protective of the peace that has been achieved on this island