Eavesdropping Legislation 'Draconian'

national | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Wednesday November 19, 2008 01:37 by Richard Walsh - Republican Sinn Féin tiocfaidh at btinternet dot com +44-7835 620 592 / +353-87 261 8603

New legislation within the 26-Counties allowing surveillance evidence to be used in court against an accused person, coupled with the ability of the 26-County police to request that such evidence not be disclosed to the accused is a further Draconian move, a spokesperson for Republican Sinn Féin has said.

New legislation within the 26-Counties allowing surveillance evidence to be used in court against an accused person, coupled with the ability of the 26-County police to request that such evidence not be disclosed to the accused is a further Draconian move, a spokesperson for Republican Sinn Féin has said.

“They will be able to monitor both public and private premises, and use any information gathered in court. Of course, they will also be able to prevent disclosure of such material to the defence on the grounds of State security.

“We have long seen how such legislation has been abused, as in the case of the Offences Against the State Act whereby an accused person can be convicted on the alleged opinion of a Garda. Such ‘opinion’ evidence cannot be properly examined as State security implications are invariably invoked by the Garda in question.

“Unfortunately the fact that it is not feasible to question the legitimacy of such an opinion has not prevented the conviction of people on the basis of such ‘evidence’."

ENDS