The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has slammed Dermot Ahern’s controversial gangland bill as “bogus” because it completely neglects the rights of witnesses and victims of violent crime.
The Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2009 is due to be rushed through the Dáil later today (7 July 2009) without any proper scrutiny of its effectiveness or constitutionality.
Speaking in Limerick, Mr Mark Kelly, Director of the ICCL, said:
“This is a bogus bill, which does nothing to tackle the serious problem of the intimidation of witnesses or to improve the lives of victims of violent crime.”
“Secret detention hearings, special courts and unlawful detentions on the word of a low-ranking guard will not help crime victims or the families of people slain by violent thugs. Dermot Ahern’s proposals most probably breach the Constitution, but they certainly violate the trust of victims of crime and their families, to whom he has promised effective action” he added.
“If the Minister wants to keep his promise to victims of crime, he should be investing in intelligence-led and community-based policing, rather than trying to rush this shoddy law through the Dáil”, Mr Kelly concluded.