Dame Siobhan Keegan, the Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, has stated that it is "unwise" for members of the legal profession to provide character references in court cases. She indicated that her sentencing group will examine the practice, driven by concerns from victims who feel they lack the opportunity to challenge such references.
The comments come in the wake of a situation where the Law Society's chief executive, David Lavery, provided a character reference for a cousin convicted of serious sexual offenses earlier this year. Members of the Law Society are expected to vote on their confidence in Lavery on Tuesday.
In a recent interview with BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme, Dame Siobhan highlighted that while the law does not mandate judges to consider character references, they do appear in proceedings. She acknowledged that "certain people" giving these references can be problematic, as has been observed in various instances.
Dame Siobhan also pointed to a lack of "transparency" in the process as a potential issue for victims. She suggested that alternative methods for handling character references might need to be considered to ensure fairness and address the concerns raised.