A legal practitioner, immersed in recollections of the vibrant oratory that once resonated within the historic confines of the old Irish Bar, recently penned a captivating letter. The missive was prompted by a casual remark in a prior publication, where I, perhaps unwisely, mused about the perils of making noise, including coughing, outside the Court of Justice. Little did I anticipate that this throwaway comment would elicit a fascinating revelation from my legal correspondent.
The focus of the correspondence harks back to a bygone era when the echoes of impassioned speeches by luminaries such as O’Connell and Isaac Butt still reverberated. The narrative pivots around an incident involving a Judge who took exception to disruptive sounds within the courtroom. Specifically, the Judge, in a moment of arbitrary severity, declared his intent to treat coughing as an act of contempt of court. This curious episode unfolded during proceedings in Limerick.
According to the Irish lawyer’s account, the courtroom experienced a notable influx of coughing during the initial phases of a session. It was at this juncture that the Judge, with an unexpected and forceful demeanor, issued a stern warning, proclaiming that he would not hesitate to commit for contempt of court the very next individual who dared to cough. The quirkiness of this judicial response is not lost on observers, raising eyebrows at the notion of inventing a new crime, even if it involves the ostensibly involuntary act of coughing.
The incident at Limerick, as recounted by the legal correspondent, adds a layer of intrigue to the already storied history of the Irish Bar. The notion that a Judge would single out coughing as a punishable offence introduces an element of judicial eccentricity. The act of coughing, generally considered a semi-voluntary reflex, takes an unexpected turn when viewed through the lens of courtroom decorum and the Judge’s unyielding stance.
As legal circles reflect on this unusual historical nugget, it serves as a reminder of the idiosyncrasies that can punctuate the annals of jurisprudence. The letter from the Irish lawyer prompts a reconsideration of the gravity with which certain actions are treated within the hallowed halls of justice, offering a glimpse into a bygone legal era where even the sound of a cough could be met with the weighty charge of contempt of court.
Illustrated London News – Saturday 08 September 1906
