Police State?

national | crime and justice | opinion/analysis Friday April 16, 2004 11:25 by Perry Mason

What is the left response to draconian legislation?

What are the implications for civil liberties in Ireland now that you can be imprisoned on the suspicions of the Gardai?

I read with some dismay today that a 31 year old man from Co Louth has been charged with membership of the CIRA. The evidence against the man appears, according to the ‘Irish News’ are the discovery of “two walkie-talkies, six mobile phones, a sim card for a phone, a metal detector and 22 tickets to a republican fundraising event”.

Basically, the prosecution appears to be relying on the gardai to put this man in jail. A detective in the witness box stated he had a “very strong feeling” the accused “was actively involved in the CIRA”. Worse still, the prosecution are opposing bail for this man because gardai feel there is “serious apprehension that the defendant would continue to commit serious crime”.

Now I’m far from being a CIRA cheer-leader and I don’t have any interest in their romantic nonsense but the above report has serious implications for everyone who is concerned about people’s civil liberties. Trial by Gardai hunches cannot be tolerated. I am putting this on indymedia hopefully to generate a serious discussion about the criminal justice system and the apparent general rolling back of people’s civil liberties. I am not a expert, but the left should be challenging the concept that people can be accused without any real evidence against them.

Please don’t bother using the comments to tell me how bad the CIRA is or that I’m a closet provo or whatever. I’m not.