Care services for most vulnerable not good enough, says Simon Harris
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil ‘on track’ to strike government deal by January 22nd
Department of Justice
The latest news, analysis, and opinion on the Irish Department of Justice
Department feared failure to boost pension tax relief would lead to exodus of senior gardaí and judges
Officials warned of ‘real prospect’ that only external candidates would seek top-level Garda roles
Government warned pension tax regime would hit staff further down seniority ranks
Controversy over tax bills on retirement shone light on value of pensions for senior figures in public service in comparison with private sector, where average pension pot is just over €80,565
Six thousand become ‘free citizens of Ireland’ as department says record number of decisions made
More than 6,000 people are being granted Irish citizenship in seven ceremonies over two days
Development of charity-run centre for children with additional needs at risk as Government withholds funding
Kildare National Child Development Centre project stalls as IIP programme closes
Fine Gael to court grey vote with slew of promises
Party’s general election manifesto to provide ‘older persons’ guarantee’ including extending free TV licences and payments for heating bills
Concern over plan to let undercover informants commit crimes
Garda Inspectorate’s recommendations would include Garda sources in criminal organisations and undercover anticorruption gardaí involved in sting operations
Locals stall opening of Thornton Hall for up to 1,000 asylum seekers
A group of local residents has made an application to the courts to halt the project in north Co Dublin
Medics must be trained to recognise signs of human trafficking, conference told
US ambassador says lack of training leads to neglect of the most vulnerable in society
New gambling regulator to begin work on phased basis next year
Department of Justice says recruitment of seven members for new betting regulator will begin shortly
Abandoned in Lebanon: How Ireland offered Syrian refugees a route to safety, then left them in a war zone
Two years ago about 375 Syrians were interviewed in Lebanon by Irish officials and told they would be resettled in Ireland before 2024. They’re still waiting - amid bombs, deprivation and discrimination. Sally Hayden spoke to some of those people, who feel trapped, scared and forgotten
Number of deportation orders up by 140% over past year, says report
Helen McEntee to update Government on impact of accelerated processing measures for international protection applicants
Murder trials delayed by ‘burden of work’ on psychiatrists, warns judge
Lawyers report varying degrees of success in getting court psychiatric reports for ‘very serious cases’
Twenty new judges to be appointed following introduction of legislation
Six are to be assigned each to the District Court, Circuit Court and High Court, with two additional judges to go to the Court of Appeal
Prison overcrowding crisis is forcing policy makers to turn to increasingly radical solutions
Report from the Prison Overcrowding Response Group paints a stark picture of Ireland’s penal institutions
HHC vapes: ‘It only took a few puffs to turn him completely zombie-like’
Hexahydrocannabinol, a legal cannabis substitute, is causing severe psychosis in some young men
Hotel owner claims it could lose €2.1m for accommodating IP applicants as current operator will not surrender vacant possession
Owner of Grand Hotel in Wicklow town brings High Court proceedings against operator, seeking orders including that a lease agreement has ended
Sex education cannot be taught on a one-size-fits-all basis
The terror that posed as SPHE education in the past was undoubtedly deeply harmful to adolescents
Sharp drop in number of prisoners being approved for enhanced remission
Prison officials increasingly using other forms of early or temporary release to ease record overcrowding
Checking passports with immigration control at Dublin Airport
Department of Justice immigration officials are attempting to prevent asylum seekers dumping travel documents after disembarking flights
Number of prosecutions for hate crime remains low despite surge in attacks
The latest figures underscore the difficulty in bringing prosecutions under 1989 legislation
Hate crime Bill to retain special protections for transgender and non-binary people
Elements relating to hate speech to be shelved but gender definitions to remain despite opposition including by Michael McDowell questioning idea of legislating for ‘multiplicity of subjective genders’
Patrick Nugent: What happened that night, do gardaí know something new and why are they exhuming a body?
Chef William Ryan was acquitted in 1985 of Mr Nugent’s manslaughter and dangerous driving causing death
Anti-stalking protection orders: ‘There are a lot of people who have been waiting a long time for this’
New civil orders restraining stalking behaviours can now be sought in at District Court level
Sharp rise last year in applications to have asylum decisions reviewed by High Court, report shows
Annual report from Courts Service shows continuing fall in most types of crime but continuing rise in domestic violence applications
‘There’s not a bad word I could speak about Ireland’: Rugby star Bundee Aki gains Irish citizenship
Connacht player is one of 3,600 people who became Irish citizens on Monday in ceremonies in Dublin
Airlines and ferry firms fined more than €5m since 2019 for passengers lacking documentation
In the first eight months of 2024, 1,590 arrivals in Republic found to have no valid travel papers
Garda numbers fall as dozens of successful candidates choose not to take up their places
Dozens of successful candidates in each intake have not taken up their places over the past two years
Sharp increase in ‘doorstep’ passport checks on flights arriving in Dublin
Operations were put in place last year after it emerged 40 per cent of people seeking asylum in Ireland had either lost or destroyed their travel documents before arriving at immigration control
Prisoners denied ability to apply for parole due to delay in drafting regulations
Parole Board says it does not know when regulations will be introduced
Ireland almost unique in granting prisoners early release, Government review finds
Prisoners in Ireland are entitled to 25 per cent off their sentences, regardless of behaviour
Deadline for senior Garda role extended after few suitable candidates apply amid pension tax impasse
Senior gardaí reluctant to apply owing to tax implications
We owe it to the victims of sexual crime to improve how courts deal with their cases
Trials of sexual offences can take many years to reach a conclusion, potentially re-traumatising victims
Minister of State has faced ‘endless’ lobbying over upcoming gambling legislation
Long-awaited Bill should become law by mid-October, says Fianna Fáil politician James Browne
McEntee rejects call for inquiry into murder of ex-Sinn Féin official and British agent
Denis Donaldson was shot dead by the Real IRA at an isolated cottage near Glenties, Co Donegal, in April 2006
The key question remains how many people are complying with deportation orders
Enforcing orders is complex, and it is hard to establish how many failed asylum seekers have actually left
Deportation orders rise sharply to more than 1,000 in past six months
State moving towards chartering of planes for those refused asylum as policies on immigration tighten
Department of Justice says no talks on Garda Commissioner contract extension have taken place
Drew Harris to remain in role until next summer but would face an application process for a second extension due to his age
Planned abolition of juries in defamation law reform ‘undemocratic’, says retired judge
Claims in support of abolition of jury cases involve ‘factual and legal dishonesty’ says judge who presided over defamation cases
Judges could recommend minimum sentences of 30 years or more for worst crimes under proposals
Parole Board will retain ultimate responsibility for deciding release date despite proposed reforms
High Court strikes out man’s claim of unreasonable delay in dealing with his citizenship request
Man had not provided properly completed Garda vetting form to allow Minister to make decision, judge said
McEntee vows to reform taxi licensing system in wake of Shorten rape sentencing
Minister for Justice promises to reform system ‘as soon as possible’ following jailing of Dublin man for 17 years for rape of two women in his taxi
The Irish Times view on the Defamation Bill: a long overdue reform
The Bill goes some considerable way towards addressing unacceptable restrictions on journalistic inquiry
Shorten sentencing raises concerns about safety of women in taxis
Eighteen people reported being the victim of rape or sexual assault in a taxi in the last two years
Criminal barristers strike: Legal aid earnings range from €27 a day to €773,000 a year
Industrial action will take place on Tuesday, on July 15th and on July 24th
South Africa and Botswana citizens will no longer be allowed visa-free travel to Ireland
Papers to be required for citizens of both countries as additional measure to address the sharp rise in international protection applicants in 2024
Operation of privacy rule in family law cases to be examined by new independent study
Parents with direct experience of family courts asked to take part in anonymous online survey
Remains of Harry Gleeson, wrongly executed for murder 83 years ago, to return home to Tipperary
Gleeson was jailed for murder of Mary ‘Moll’ McCarthy in 1940 but pardoned by State in 2015
Facial recognition: We’re tilting alarmingly towards normalising sneakier mass surveillance
We have yet to be given clear reasons why we need facial recognition technology even though a Bill relating to it is meandering through our political process
More than 40 Garda members convicted or given probation over last decade
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee sayas ‘vast majority’ of the 14,000 members of An Garda Síochána ‘uphold the values of the organisation and serve the State with integrity each and every day’
Domestic violence and child abuse concerns ‘discounted’ in custody disputes, report says
Department of Justice report compilers told ‘assessors do not have adequate training or accreditation to properly assess family violence’
How sentencing works: judges consider law, gravity of offence and circumstances of offender
Suspended sentences can be given to incentivise rehabilitation or to discourage further criminal activity
Garda challenges extension of probation period into seventh year
Woman has been subject of disciplinary investigation related to an incident in 2019
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