Computer expert to aid Curtin child probe
An international computer expert will aid an Oireachtas Committee investigating allegations Judge Brian Curtin was in possession of child pornography, it was confirmed today.
After a lengthy legal battle, the Circuit Court judge’s advisors have contacted the All-Party Oireachtas Committee by letter to consent to the handover of the computer.
Chairman of the Oireachtas committee, Denis O’Donovan, said: “Someone of international repute, a computer expert will be brought in to examine it. I imagine Judge Curtin will want to engage someone to oversee the procedure.”
He confirmed: “We have received the letter. It is a positive development insofar as it is a voluntary engagement by his legal team.
“There was an outstanding order in December 2004 to obtain the computer and the hard drive. We will endeavour to get all the materials gardai were holding.”
Judge Curtin’s legal team has also sought assurances about the security of the computer and the conditions in which it has been kept since it was seized from his home in May 2002.
The Cork South West TD said: “If that is an issue for him we can get confirmation from gardai.”
The chairman said senior members of the gardai could be called before the committee to reassure the judge as to the safe-keeping of the materials.
“We wrote to gardai in June 2004 to do nothing with the computer and keep it in safe keeping until we had further information,” he said.
The committee, which was set up in May, 2004, was halted six months later, when Judge Curtin challenged an order to produce his computer and its software.
Last week, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the parliamentary committee to investigate the alleged actions of the judge.
The Circuit Court judge was acquitted of charges of possessing child pornography in 2004 after the warrant used to search his house was found to have been out of date.
He had challenged the constitutionality of the Oireachtas committee which was set up to investigate his behaviour in the wake of the verdict.
Chief Justice John L Murray said he was satisfied that the committee would be able to accord the judge his full rights to justice and fair procedures.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Oireachtas committee had a right to examine the computer, which allegedly contained pornographic images and is currently being held by gardai.
Mr O’Donovan said the committee had not met in full since December 2004 due to the judicial review.
The chairman said the committee would be meeting in private next Tuesday to discuss the group’s work.
“We were stopped in our tracks by the judicial review procedure in the High Court which stopped it for 15 months,” he said. “We have a duty to both houses of the Oireachtas to compete the work and we will do that as vigorously as possible.”
