DUBLIN,  (Reuters) – A group of 133 Irish lawyers yesterday demanded the scrapping of a draft law against gangland  crime they say will hurt constitutional rights by allowing  non-jury trials, secret hearings and “opinion evidence”.

The government has proposed the bill in response to what it  sees as a threat to the “very foundations” of the legal system  from organised crime, which culminated this year in the killing  of a man in revenge for his family giving evidence in court.

It proposes non-jury trials for some organised crime cases  to protect jurors who it says could be equally targeted by  criminals.

The bill also creates tougher penalties for organised crime  and allows for “opinion evidence” to be given in court by police  officers to prove the existence of a criminal organisation,  though not the guilt or innocence of a defendant.