- 2000 Conferring Speeches
- Prof Michael B. Murphy - Medical Degrees - June 22nd 2000
- Prof Michael B. Murphy - Dent & Nursing - June 22nd 2000
- Prof John Horgan - Arts Degrees - September 25th 2000
- Prof Dermot Keogh - Arts Degrees - September 25th 2000
- Right Rev Paul Colton - Law Degrees - September 26th 2000
- Mr. Thomas Barrett - Commerce - September 27th 2000
- Mr. Eoghan Harris Fd Sc & Tech - September 28th 2000
- Prof John Davenport - Science Degrees - 20th September 2000
- Dr Bryan McMahon - Law Degrees - 14th December 2000
- Mr John Travers - Science & Eng Degrees - 14th December 2000
- Prof John Fraher - Med and Fd Sc Degrees - 14th December 2000
- Mr Theo Dorgan - Arts Degrees - 15th December 2000
- Year 2000 - Conferring Timetables
- 1997 Conferring Speeches
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Dent & Nursing - 26-06-1997
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Arts Degrees and Diplomas - 23rd July 1997
- Dr Michael Mortell - Fac of Science Degrees - 23rd July 1997
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Arts Degrees - 24th July 1997
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Eng Degrees and Diplomas - 22nd July 1997
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Arts & Law Degrees & Dips - 17th October 1997
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Med and Arts Degrees - 16th October 1997
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Commerce Degrees - 21st July 1997
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Arts Degrees & Dips - 25th July 1997
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Commerce Degrees & Dips and Dips in Law - 21st July 1997
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Law Degrees - 21st July 1997
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Arts Degrees and Diplomas - 16th October 1997
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Medical Degrees - 26th June 1997
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Degrees and Diplomas - 11th December 1997
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Degrees & Diplomas - 11th December 1997
- 1996 Conferring Speeches
- Conferring Speeches 1998
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Arts Diplomas - 24th July 1998
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Commerce Degrees & Diplomas - 20th July 1998
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Engineering Degrees - 22nd July 1998
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Science Degrees & Dips - 21st July 1998
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Degrees & Dips in Fd Sc & Tech - 22nd July 1998
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Science Degrees and Diplomas - 21st July 1998
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Commerce Degrees - 15th October 1998
- Dr Michael P. Mortell - Degrees & Dips in Med and Science - 16th October 1998
Dr Michael P. Mortell - Law Degrees - 21st July 1997
Speech by Dr Michael P. Mortell,
President, The National University of Ireland Cork,
at the Conferring of Degrees in the Faculty of Law, Monday, 21 July, 1997.
Law touches all of our lives. Not just the lives of you who studied long and hard in the course of your BCL, LLB or LLM Degrees - obtained through day or evening studies. Many of us do not have a daily involvement with legal matters as a career, but through the media, or through work, have to contend with matters of law or justice, or indeed the conflict between law and justice.
The kind of laws we have tell us much about the society we live in. The law is a living thing. It and society's values are bound together in a mutual embrace. The law reflects society's values, and measures the change in the these values. Conversely, the law induces change in people's behaviour, which in turn changes society's values.
Oliver Wendell Holmes said that law was the history of experience. In more recent times the question has been asked : whose experience?
The experience in Ireland has changed rapidly in the last 20 years or so, and so have the values of our society. We have seen the introduction of birth control, divorce; we have seen an increase in single-parent families, a growing culture of drugs and violent crime, we have seen the arrival of the feminist movement. I list these simply as a matter of fact, and not in any sense of making value judgements.
The changes in society, of which these factors are the tangible symptoms, are reflected in family law, social welfare law, employment law. The balance is our society between freedom and discipline has shifted in favour of freedom, and the balance between individual and community rights has moved in favour of the individual. The criminal justice system is a current example of the tension between the rights of the individual and society. We expect a system of prosecution and custody which will combine respect for the civil liberties of the individual, and simultaneously protect the common good by bringing criminal to justice swiftly.
An educated lawyer today must then have a propensity for reflection. It is not enough to know the law and its applications, without also having a concern for justice. It is not enough to be a mouthpiece of orthodoxy, but rather be a constructive critic of the system.
You who graduate today move into a world much different to that of previous generations of lawyers. We are now an integral part of the European Union - the Celtic Tiger with the highest growth rate in Europe! This is the context in which your career will be worked out. There will have to be some form of harmonisation and co-operation between the different European legal systems. Change to-date has been slow - in part because of perceived difficulties in bringing together such different legal traditions. You have a contribution to make to this debate - you are the young Europeans! You have to be rooted in your own tradition in order to bring the best aspects of it into Europe. We have to give to Europe as well as take from it. We have to be partners in an enterprise, bringing with us our values, culture, traditions, our uniqueness to better inform and work out the rich texture of diversity that will be the common Europe of tomorrow.
You are well prepared for this. You have studied along side Erasmus students at UCC; you have studied at partner universities in Europe; you have studied a European language; you have some appreciation of the culture, tradition and value of that society; you may pursue postgraduate study at a university in Europe.
The future of Ireland and of Europe is in your hands. As W.B. Yeats said
Tread softly,
For your tread on my dreams.