Revenge porn to be made a crime

Revenge porn, online stalking, and distributing intimate photos of people without their consent are set to be made crimes punishable by heavy fines and potential jail sentences — three years after the first calls for Government action.

The Cabinet will sign off on the plans at a special meeting in Cork City today which is likely to be targeted by an Irish Farmers Association protest demanding a drastic increase in Brexit supports.

Under plans first put forward by Labour leader Brendan Howlin in 2016, the Government was meant to legislate to ensure people are protected from revenge porn, online stalking, “up-skirting”, and other matters.

Mr Howlin’s opposition bill was based on detailed Law Reform Commission recommendations on how to prevent harmful communications and digital safety.

Despite Government promises to act, the bill has been delayed for three years — an issue which the Irish Examiner revealed last week is affecting 145 other opposition bills tabled during the coalition’s reign.

In a memo due to be brought to Cabinet this morning, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan will say amendments to the Harassment, Harmful Communications, and Related Offences Bill 2017 are now needed.

In a bid to fast-track the “priority” bill, he will say a number of changes must take place, including new legal penalties to prevent:

• The non-consensual distribution of intimate images, known as “revenge porn”;
• Online harassment and stalking, which include all forms of online and digital communication;
• Increased laws to support the existing offence of sending threatening or indecent messages online;
• And other matters such as up-skirting.

Mr Flanagan is expected to say that while the Department of Justice began preliminary work on drafting laws to address the concerns in 2016 in response to the Law Reform Commission recommendations, it agreed to stop and accept Mr Howlin’s plans instead.

He is also expected to say that legal drafting has delayed the tabling of the bill, and that the Government, Attorney General Séamus Woulfe, and Mr Howlin have been working on the changes in recent weeks.

The law change is set to dominate this morning’s special meeting in Cork City, which is taking place in part to promote Ireland’s second city and the Government’s local, European, and plebiscite campaigns in the city.

As reported in yesterday’s Irish Examiner, the meeting will also see ministers being given an update on the €80m Cork events centre plans which have been dogged by delays in recent months.

The special Cabinet meeting at Cork City Hall — which will be followed by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar canvassing in the city centre before a town hall debate at the Clayton Hotel this evening — is also set to be targeted by Irish Farmers Association protesters.

In a statement last night, IFA president Joe Healy criticised the Government’s decision to switch the meeting location from Blackrock castle to Cork City Hall due to potential protests.

He said: “The Government can run, but they can’t hide. We’ll be at City Hall with the main rally timed for 10.30am.

“Beef farmers need a Brexit support package and we will be sending a strong message to the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and his Cabinet.

"They can have the meeting wherever they like. We’ll be there.”