Paul McBride funeral: ‘In his short life, he really did make a difference’

I FIRST got to know Paul in the early 90s when carving out a name for himself in the law. He was appearing in the Appeal Court on a regular basis, a court not known for its tolerance of the less able.

When I first heard Paul on his feet I was very impressed at the way in which one so young was able to get quickly to the nub of the problem, turning complex legal problems into simplistic choices of principle. The way in which he dealt with questions and interventions from the judges, sometimes all at once, and looked and sounded comfortable when doing it, was a marvel to behold.

He was involved in many high-profile cases where he fought for his clients ferociously. I was often on the other side. You knew that you were in for a real fight when Paul defended, but he was always scrupulously fair – he was straight as a die. His word was his bond. I thought so highly of Paul’s abilities that I asked him to represent the Crown in the Supreme Court. That is not an easy court to appear in either. I remember one counsel describing it as the best laxative known to man. Paul took it in his stride and won the case, obtaining a decision the importance of which still affects many cases.

Paul always did his best for the people he represented. I can testify to that. It didn’t matter whether the charge was minor; he approached his brief as if it was the most serious charge.

I really admired Paul for speaking out so publicly against bigotry, prejudice and unfairness. The easy thing to do was to keep quiet. That wasn’t Paul’s style. It didn’t matter where the prejudice came from, Paul spoke out against it. This will be one of his legacies – a change in social attitudes whereby bigotry is no longer tolerated. He did make that difference. He packed more into his short lifetime than most people would pack into three lifetimes.