Madam, - I strongly support your editorial (June 25th) which exhorts the new Minister for Justice, Brian Lenihan to put in place a refugee appeals system that has the confidence of those working in the area.
The length of time it has taken for the very compelling allegations of bias in the Refugee Appeals Tribunal to be vindicated undermines our image of ourselves as a country where natural justice and human rights are valued.
I recall the former minister for justice, Michael McDowell, confidently declaring in an interview with Phillip Boucher-Hayes on RTÉ radio in July 2002 that he was "perfectly satisfied that the asylum system is very fair. . . I believe that Ireland has one of the fairest systems [in the EU]".
Refugee tribunal misjudgements are not victimless.
As Amnesty International has stated: "Getting an asylum decision wrong is not like a clerical error on a tax bill or parking fine. Wrongly refusing someone's claim could mean returning them to face torture or execution.These are life-or-death decisions ."
The Irish Times and Village magazine are to be commended for their continuous highlighting of the conduct of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal .
How we examine cases of those fleeing persecution who live among us is surely a true measure of the integrity of our justice system. - Yours, etc,
VALERIE HUGHES, Cabra, Dublin 7.