In Judgement
of Joyce BY LLOYD GORMAN Acclaimed as one of the greatest works of literature James Joyce’s Ulysses also has a lot to offer those with an interest in the law and things legal. In fact the mammoth novel (based on the activities of its protagonists on June 16 1904) references 32 different court cases, 18 of which were criminal cases, many of which were tried in Dublin between 1899 and 1926. The shadow of political trials can also be felt, including for Nationalist Irish leader Robert Emmet in 1803 and the trial of the Invincibles in 1882 for the murder of the Chief Secretary of Ireland in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. Finnegans Wake - his successor to Ulysses - in particular, as well as other stories by the Dublin born author are not unlike legal documents in their own way. Legions of academics and literature lovers have forensically analysed Ulysses since its publication in Paris on Joyce’s 40th birthday, February 2 1922. His work has also found a certain following in the legal fraternity. The late Supreme Court judge in Ireland Adrian Hardiman was a devotee of Joyce. A keen writer, historian and fluent Irish speaker Hardiman also served on the Supreme Court from 2000 until his death in 2016, aged 64. His career was marked by his steadfast defence of civil liberties and individual rights and his constant preparedness to curtail any potential abuse of power by an Garda Síochána. His first book ‘Gandhi in His Time and Ours: The Global Legacy of his Ideas’ was published in 2003. His second book ‘Joyce in Court’ was brought into print in the 12 months after his death. Joyce was fascinated by and felt passionately about miscarriages of justice, and his view of the law was coloured by the potential for grave injustice when policemen and judges are given too much power. Hardiman recreated the colourful, dangerous world of the Edwardian courtrooms of Dublin and London, where the death penalty loomed over many trials. He also brought to life the eccentric barristers, corrupt THE IRISH SCENE | 42
police and omnipotent judges who made the law so entertaining and so horrifying. American lawyer Joseph Hassett has shared his love of law with his
