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.
