7 February 2020
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has welcomed the first meeting of the Judicial Council which is made up of all 168 sitting Irish judges.
We particularly welcome the intention to draft sentencing guidelines to ensure clarity and consistency around sentencing. These guidelines, however, should be underpinned by clear sentencing principles. Mandatory sentencing does not meet human rights standards as it cannot take into account the particulars of a case. It is time we as a country moved away from this system.
The Judicial Council will also create guidelines for awards in personal injuries cases and a judicial code of conduct as well as the introduction of mechanisms for dealing with complaints.
ICCL has campaigned for the creation of a Judicial Council since 2007.
ENDS/
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties is Ireland’s leading independent human rights campaigning organisation. We monitor, educate and campaign to secure human rights for everyone in Ireland.
For comment:
Liam Herrick: liam.herrick@iccl.ie 087 2351374
For media queries:
Sinéad Nolan: sinead.nolan@iccl.ie 087 4157162