Policing authority concerned over bill extending garda powers

16 comments
  1. But sure I thought we can trust authority with any power they want, no need to question anything whatsoever. What are they gonna do, abuse it?

  2. I’m glad they’re keeping an eye on this.

    There are some serious things there up for review or change.

    – allowing senior gardaí to “issue a search warrant in urgent circumstances

    – increasing powers of arrest without a warrant

    – provisions which would allow a suspect to be questioned before getting legal advice, and would also restrict access to a lawyer during questioning

    – allowing gardaí to decide on the admissibility of evidence in limited circumstances.

    – the collection of personal data that the gardaí are not entitled to by way of statute

    >It says this power “should remain firmly with the Courts”.

    I bloody agree with them.

    >The ICCL strongly recommends the removal of the power to compel a password when executing a search warrant.

    And again.. 100%

    Those changes are NOT cool with me. I’m not one of these Anti-garda nutcases, but the force has some serious issues internally to deal with.

    Giving them extended powers seems extremely ill advised while there are still serious questions regarding internal protocol, harassment, corruption, fabrication of documents & evidence, wide spread drug use etc etc… And all of that is only in the last couple of years.

    Not to keep banging the same drum… But the gardai refuse to introduce across the force drug tests. Yet sweeping power increases like these (some of which may violate constitutional rights) are being considered?

    Mad.

  3. This is absolutely fucked.

    FFS just last year Drew Harris had to come out against giving Gardaí emergency powers under covid laws to enter private properties for the sake of policing parties. This is the same draconian power, just offset by a Senior officer.

    “…I’m always remembering we have civil liberties that we enjoy, that we wish to protect going forward and also, for our part in An Garda Síochána, that we have protected our relationship with the public as well.” – GC Harris

    How anyone in Government, particularly in FF can support such powers, is beyond me.

    This NEEDS to die.

  4. I wonder what the people who were happy about the Gardai arresting and fining people for going more than 2km from their homes have to say about that.

  5. Apparently I’m an anti vaxxer for stating that we seriously need to abolish all the emergency powers once we get back to normal, I suppose the Guards are now too.

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