ONE of the country's most senior judges raised eyebrows in his choice of language to describe the media.

Many at an awards ceremony were dismayed to hear Judge Adrian Hardiman equate journalists to "cowgirls." The Supreme Court judge was later challenged on some of his remarks by a woman reporter.

Quoting the musical Oklahoma, the judge said "the farmer and the cowman should be friends" - the farmer being lawyers and the cowman, reporters.

Later, according to members of the media present, the judge when speaking of women court correspondents spoke of "cowgirls." One woman correspondent present today told the Herald she was furious at the judge's remarks. Many, including senior members of the newspaper world, were surprised at his choice of words.

Addressing the annual Law Society Justice Media Awards, Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman labelled media coverage of court cases as "inadequate and uninformative.

"Indeed, even the result and its significance is often distorted as the reporter or some editor focuses on some incidental but picturesque detail, or on the need for a headline," he said.

Mr Justice Hardiman added that despite his audience, he had to "confess my great disappointment" that media no longer sees its job as showing the system of administration of justice as a "logical, rigorous, developing and humane one".

Comparing the Irish scenario to the US Supreme Court which has a specially assigned press corps, Mr Justice Hardiman said he was envious.

"In the same way, science is now covered by an academic scientist and sports, not excluding dog racing and computer games, by highly competent people.

He criticised reporters for leaving court early and subsequently filing inaccurate or incomplete pieces.

Having said that, Mr Justice Hardiman expressed a wish that the relationship between journalists and the legal profession could be better.

Many members of the media had gone on to establish "distinguished legal careers."

Responding to his speech, Dearbhaill McDonald, legal affairs editor of the Irish Independent, defended the media, saying they do a very good job of reporting court cases in difficult and pressurised circumstances.

The judge was overlooking the very good work done by the media in informing the public.

She described judges' use of arcane and often impenetrable language.

She said members of the judiciary could do more to make their rulings more accessible and comprehensible to the public.

- Kevin Doyle