Rights News 27 - Spring/Summer 2014

Spring/Summer 2014

Don’t Shoot the Messenger

about th e ICCL

m essag e from th e di r ector

Criminal Justice & Garda Powers 2ND EDITION

JUSTICIA – EUROPEAN RIGHTS NETWORK

SHEEHAN & PARTNERS CRIMINAL DEFENCE SOLICITORS

PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RIGHT TO INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION SERVICES IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

THE JUSTICIA EUROPEAN RIGHTS NETWORK IS COORDINATED

BY THE IRISH COUNCIL FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES WWW.ICCL.IE 1

Participant Workbook: Implementation of the Right to Interpretation and Translation Services in Criminal Proceedings

NOTE: THIS PACK IS FOR YOUR INFORMATION ONLY. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. WHEN DEALING WITH THE GARDAÍ, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A SOLICITOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

1

The Vatican. Source: www.vatican.com

New ICCL Study Launched on Rights of Victims of Crime with Disabilities The ICCL has launched a report highlighting gaps in protection for persons with a disability who become victims of crime. The report, entitled An International Review of Legal Provisions and Supports for People with Disabilities as Victims of Crime provides a comparative overview of the legal provisions and supports for crime victims with disabilities in seven common law jurisdictions including Ireland. The report was launched by Commissioner (Designate) and then Acting Chair of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Designate) Mr Kieran Rose.

Authored by Prof Shane Kilcommins of the University of Limerick and Dr Claire Edwards and Ms Tina O’Sullivan, both from the University College Cork, the report highlights significant barriers for persons with a disability in accessing justice from the pre-trial stage through to the trial and post-trial periods of criminal proceedings.

The study – the first of its kind – includes a list of practical recommendations on international best practice in this area, including in relation to sign language interpretation, the relaxation of certain formal procedures, the use of video testimony and provisions for unsworn testimony.

Report authors Prof Shane Kilcommins of University of Limerick and Tina O’Sullivan of University College Cork

The launch of the report coincided with a half day seminar organised by the ICCL on the rights of Victims of Crime with a Disability. The Seminar drew together a significant number of stakeholders from both disability and victims’ rights organisations, representatives from the National Disability Authority, An Garda Síochána, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Health Services Executive, and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Designate).

The ICCL has been a long-standing advocate for the promotion and protection of victims’ rights in the Irish criminal justice system and is working to ensure that the government meets its obligations to victims under the EU directive on victims’ rights, which comes into force in 2015. This study, an extensive piece of research into international best practice, is designed to equip policy makers with the ideas and information they need to meaningfully protect the rights of Ireland’s most vulnerable crime victims.

The report was produced by the ICCL with the generous support of the Equality Authority through its 2012 bursary scheme, the Equality Small Grants Fund.

Kieran Rose launching the report

ICCL Contributes to Panel on Using the Law to Challenge Injustice On 21 March 2013, Deirdre Duffy, Senior Research and Policy Programme Manager, participated in the PILA conference Using the Law to Challenge Injustice, which was opened by Minister for Social Protection, Ms Joan Burton TD with a keynote address by Justice Albie Sachs, former South African Constitutional Court Judge. Deirdre was one of three panelists at the Breakout Session, Mobilsing NGOs in Using the Law, alongside Broden Giambrone (Transgender Equality Network Ireland) and Marianne McKeown (Pilsnet). The session saw varied contributions from conference attendees covering issues such as legal advocacy, how NGOs can avail of suitable legal services, strategic litigation and effective use of the international human rights reporting system. This interactive session also covered more practical ground such as the successes and difficulties of engagement with legal professionals and the development of these relationships into the future.