Qualities of mercy and humility can co-exist with the
pursuit of justice, the Church of Ireland Bishop of Tuam, Killala and
Achonry, the Rt Revd Patrick Rooke has told an annual service to mark
the opening of the new legal year.
Revd Rooke told
the congregation comprising mainly lawyers and judges, including Chief
Justice Mrs Justice Susan Denham, that doing justice does not negate
human compassion.
“Winning your case may bring
you satisfaction at one level but does not mean that you are unaware of
the sadness of the situation or indeed the mess that people can make of
the lives they have been given,” he said.
Respecting human beings
Respecting human beings
In
his homily at the service at St Michan’s Church of Ireland, Church
Street, Dublin, the bishop said the task of those in the legal
profession is not just about fighting and achieving justice but “also
about respecting human beings, showing kindness and acting out
Christ-like humility in your endeavours.”
‘Mercy and grace’
‘Mercy and grace’
Jesus Christ personifies “these two sides of justice” in the Roman law which eventually put him to death and in the resurrection, when he still bore the scars of his death, he allowed for “atonement and mercy and grace.”
The bishop also referred to a recent
European court ruling which held, even for the most serious offenders,
life imprisonment should not mean life. “No human being should be
without hope – the hope that is at the core of Christian Gospel,” he
said.
The lifestyle of lawyers was one of great
pressure, patience and hard work where attention to detail and
determination are required in huge bounds, he also said.
Temptation of power
Temptation of power
While it is a world in which it is easy to succumb to the temptation of power, influence and personal gain, it is also a world where, when an individual shows courtesy, kindness and humility, they will stand out as a beacon of light and hope, he added.