Four people, and a commercial entity, have been charged with animal cruelty offences after an investigation into the euthanasia of dogs at a dog pound. One of the individuals has also been charged with a number of offences related to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 and the European Community (Animal Remedies) Regulations 2007. The […]
Chaos on the streets again.
One of the subjects that is consistently absent from real debate in Ireland is the question of civil liberties, and the limits that should be placed on the power of the state. Yesterday, the Irish Government announced that it intends to make it an offence to refuse to provide the Gardai with the password to […]
Gardaí can also arrest someone until identity details are verified.
Parts of Cork city have become no-go zones due to serious anti-social behaviour and violent crime: what the hell is going on with youth violence in Ireland? Ben Scallan comments. #gript
Two members of An Garda Siochána suffered gunshot wounds during a siege situation in Blanchardstown this evening. It is understood that one Garda was shot in the hand, while another member of the force was wounded in the foot. A media blackout that was put in place for the duration of the event has now […]
It is not really the done thing, in Ireland, to criticise Judges. When, in December of 2019, this writer published a piece arguing that it was time to impeach Judge Martin Nolan, and remove him from the bench, legally minded friends warned that the article had gone too far. Judicial discretion and independence, after all, […]
The sheer amount of data held by the HSE on Irish citizens is not something that we think about, most of the time. The information, after all, is held for good reason, and most of us trust our doctors and hospitals. Nonetheless, it is worth considering just how much information hackers can potentially access, if […]
It is an extraordinary thing, in a modern western democracy, to hear a mainstream politician openly suggesting a complete ban on all immigration. Such calls, after all, are usually reserved to the fringes of the political fringe. Even Donald Trump, the most openly anti-immigration world leader of recent times, never went so far as to […]
There have been calls for an increase in the presence of Garda Public Order Units as video continues to emerge of gangs of youths causing havoc – and sometimes endangering lives – in Dublin city suburbs. Footage of gangs brawling and attacking people in Malahide at the weekend shocked both locals and commentators on social media. […]
As an instinctive authoritarian with a healthy degree of scepticism about “the youth”, let me just say this: Is it time for a second look at the Social Democrats? A Dublin councillor says a change to drinking laws, and curfews on younger people, could be a solution to anti-social behaviour. Social Democrats councillor for Howth […]
New legislation published by the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee will ensure that all persons convicted for a second or subsequent offence for possession of firearms with intent to endanger life will no longer face a mandatory minimum 10-year sentence. The new legislation will also ensure that anyone convicted of carrying a firearm with […]