Barristers undergo years of legal training and a one-year apprenticeship (known as devilling) before they are allowed to practice law in the wild, in part to prepare them for the challenge of representing unsavoury clients with professionalism and conviction. The Irish legal system, like the British one from which it is derived, aims to make sure that every person gets a fair crack before the courts, and the best possible representation in criminal cases where their liberty is at risk.
Even knowing that our legal friends are skilled and dispassionate, one must take a moment to marvel at the skill in keeping a straight face of John FitzGerald, SC, who had the task this week of defending one Jason Hennessy Junior in court. Addressing the court in mitigation for his client, the national broadcaster records him as saying:
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