Question: When is "no Irish" a good thing?
Answer: When you're in court! Check out this excerpt from the Connaught Telegraph at
http://www.con-telegraph.ie/article-detail.asp?article_id=3307 Case dismissed because Act not translated into Irish
A SOLICITOR succeeded at Belmullet Court in having a prosecution dismissed because the legislation involved had not been translated into the Irish language.
Ms. Samantha Geraghty, solicitor, was appearing for Paddy Keane, Faulmore, Blacksod, who was charged with driving with excess alcohol at Aughleam on September 25.
She told the court her client wished to have his case dealt with through Irish and he was prejudiced because the legislation involved had not been translated into Irish.
She said she had made inquiries and could not find that the particular legislation had been translated.
Other road traffic legislation before the particular acts involved, and later legislation, had been translated.
Ms. Geraghty told Judge Mary Devins a huge amount of legislation had been translated but for some reason the two acts involved in the prosecution had not.
Supt. John Dunleavy said the defendant had signed the custody record and all documentation in English.
All of his conversations with the Gardai were in English. No reference had been made to the fact he wanted the prosecution to be in Irish.
Ms. Geraghty referred to a number of decided cases and added that it had been decided by the courts that a person was entitled to have a prosecution in Irish regardless of their ability in Irish.
"My inquiries have shown that the relevant legislation in this case is not available in Irish," she said.
The case had been adjourned from an earlier Court.
