The inquiry into the conduct of Wicklow District Judge Donnchadh O'Buachalla concluded this afternoon with brief submissions on costs. The Chairman, Mr Justice Frank Murphy said that he would deliver his report to the Minister for Justice within weeks. The inquiry heard evidence in relation to Judge O'Buachalla's handling of the change of the licence for Jack White's Inn into Catherine Nevin's sole name.
Judge O'Buachalla was the last of 14 witnesses to give evidence to this inquiry. He admitted that he might have made a mistake in not holding the hearing on the Jack White's Inn pub licence in public. But there was nothing furtive about his decision to hold the hearing in private, he said. The court had already emptied for the day.
This inquiry, chaired by Supreme Court Judge, Mr Justice Frank Murphy, was originally to have two areas of inquiry: the licensing issue and then the judge's conduct in cases involving two Gardaí, Michael Murphy and Vincent Whelan. But earlier this month the Gardaí withdrew all their allegations against him. So today when the Inquiry resumed at Kings Inn it took less than 20 minutes to conclude. Submissions on costs were made and then Mr Justice Murphy indicated his report would be with the Minister for Justice in weeks. The Minister has already indicated that he will publish the contents of Judge Murphy's conclusions.
