Irish Times: Mayo pipeline contempt case Saturday: “You conclude your Editorial with the assertion that "once binding decisions are taken by the Government and the planning authorities, the law must be obeyed". The "must" here is a legal must, not a moral must, and that makes all the difference.”: Saturday July 09, 2005

Madam, - In an Editorial of July 5th, you describe as "too simplistic" the efforts to represent the confrontation between the Mayo protesters and Shell "in a David and Goliath light". You then go on to support your contention by saying that, up to the time of their jailing "these men were not representative of local opinion".

But this does not support your contention at all. On the contrary, it rather confirms the David-like status of the protesters, and points to the moral rather than legal standing of their protest.

You conclude your Editorial with the assertion that "once binding decisions are taken by the Government and the planning authorities, the law must be obeyed". The "must" here is a legal must, not a moral must, and that makes all the difference. - Yours, etc,

THOMAS DUDDY, Sylvan Road, Fairlands Park, Galway.

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