Catholic Church

CHRIS Morris’ insight article (ODT, 2.11.18) is an excellent addendum to his research on this vexed subject.

Chris quotes Dunedin barrister and a wellknown loyal member of the Catholic community David More. David calls for the inclusion of religious and other private institutions in the royal commission of inquiry. He states that it breaches ‘‘a fundamental principle of natural justice for a person to judge their own cause’’.

This is a very profound principle of fact and logic. The great W. Edwards Deming, statistician and management guru who helped Japan achieve its remarkable postwar economic recovery, said that ‘‘a system cannot understand itself’’.

This principle was in turn based on a 1931 formulation by Kurt Godel that proved a system cannot demonstrate its own consistency.

It’s a principle of transparency our officials and politicians would do well to embrace.

Well done, David.

Stuart Mathieson

Palmerston