2020 news review: Judge calls for second appointment to Kildare bench
A year like no other: We take a look at some of the stories other than the rolling Covid-19 lockdowns that made the headlines in County Kildare over the last year
Reporter:
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Another District Court judge needs to be appointed to County Kildare, according to the local judge Desmond Zaidan.
“I’m the busiest District Court judge in Ireland,” he said, at a sitting of the court in Naas more than once during the year, adding that there are statistics to prove the fact.
“There is only one judge and this county needs a second judge,” he added.
A Burren farmer committed “a heinously illegal act” when felling trees on his lands without a licence.
That is according to Judge Patrick Durcan who fined David McMahon €600 after convicting the father-of-two for removing trees without a licence at Conga, Ruan, Co. Clare between September 1, 2018 and November 30, 2018.
Counsel for the Minister for Agriculture, Thomas Wallace O’Donnell told the court that the department’s own estimate is that 40,000 trees were felled.
O’Donnell told the court: “The department views this case as very serious.”
Forestry Act 2014
It is understood that the case is the first such conviction under the Forestry Act 2014.
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Legal defence for the farmer said he was engaged in routine agricultural practice . \ Philip Doyle
A Burren farmer committed “a heinously illegal act” when felling trees on his lands without a licence.
That is according to Judge Patrick Durcan, who fined David McMahon €600 after convicting the father of two for removing trees without a licence at Conga, Ruan, Co Clare, between 1 September 2018 and 30 November 2018.
Counsel for the Minister for Agriculture, Thomas Wallace O’Donnell BL, told the court that the Department’s own estimate is that 40,000 trees were felled.
Mr O’Donnell told the court: “The Department views this case as very serious.”