People who report being a victim of a sex offences are most likely to seek reasons from the Director of Public Prosecutions as to why nobody was prosecuted for the crimes against them.

Ian Bailey has confirmed that he has contacted the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) three times since late summer to reconsider a decision not to charge him in relation to the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier 20 years ago.

Crime victims will have the right to know when offenders are released from jail and seek a review of decisions taken by the DPP under new laws aimed at rebalancing the justice system.

The Garda investigation file on the estimated 37 people arrested in relation to the anti-water charge protest involving Tánaiste Joan Burton last November is due to be sent to the State prosecutor next week.

Tánaiste Joan Burton will be the “star witness” if the Director of Public Prosecutions brings charges against people over events at last November’s anti-water charge protest in Tallaght, Dublin.

There has been a 10% decline in the number of prosecution files submitted by gardaí to the DPP — but the office is dealing with an increasing number of "very lengthy" and "extremely resource intensive" white- collar prosecutions.

A Central Criminal Court judge has said it will be the DPP's responsibility if a rapist - allowed to remain out on bail - fails to attend court to be sentenced.

The names of three senior gardaí alleged to have asked a state solicitor to put pressure on a former DPP to prosecute Ian Bailey are to be handed over to the former journalist.

The High Court has heard the Director for Public Prosecutions will not press charges against a man described as the largest facilitator of child pornography on the planet.

The Governor of the Central Bank has insisted there is no smoking gun in controversial taped conversations of former Anglo Irish Bank executives to suggest criminality.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has warned the media of the danger associated with pre-trial publicity interfering with the right of an accused person to a fair trial.

Claire Loftus, Director of Public Prosecutions, is right when she says the media should not interfere with an accused person’s right to a fair trial. As she points out, there is a growing risk of trials being postponed for long periods or even indefinitely when prejudicial material is published.

The state’s chief prosecutor has issued a warning to the media and commentators about the risks of prejudicing trials.

A new set of guidelines have been published for people giving victim impact statements.

Documents required in a damages action against the State by Ian Bailey and his partner Jules Thomas arising from the Garda investigation into the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier are to be handed over by the end of September, the High Court has heard.

A rape victim has said she is devastated by a judge’s decision to let her attacker walk free from court in order to look after his special needs children.

Ian Bailey’s partner Jules Thomas is seeking access to state files for her action against the State for damages arising out of the Garda investigation in to the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

A High Court judge said “very disturbing” and “unusual” matters related to the Garda investigation into the murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier justified orders requiring the State to hand over documents to Ian Bailey.

Lawyers for Ian Bailey have gone to the High Court in a bid to make the gardaí and State hand over documents which, they contend, support claims of malice against Mr Bailey in the Garda probe into the murder of French film-maker Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

The Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan told mourners at murdered Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe’s funeral that he and his colleagues are committed to bringing his killer to justice.

Two false pretence charges remain outstanding against Paschal Carmody after his acquittal yesterday of nine counts of obtaining monies by deception from two families of terminally-ill cancer patients.

The State does not object to the Director of Public Prosecutions issuing guidelines on when assisted suicide cases will be prosecuted.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has said that she is increasingly concerned at the impact stretched resources are having on the ability of her office to do its job.

A pilot court project will dramatically cut waiting times for criminal trials, according to a leadingvictims’ organisation.

The DPP, Claire Loftus, called last May for reform of pre-trial procedures.

Rape crisis groups have hit out at indications from the state prosecutor’s office that it may backtrack on plans to give sex crime victims reasons why charges are not being taken in their cases.

Plans to provide victims of sexual crime with the reason why their cases are not being prosecuted are in doubt because of a lack of resources in the State prosecutor’s office.

AN internal review containing serious criticisms of the prosecution case against Ian Bailey was withheld from his legal team until recent weeks despite being requested of the Director of Public Prosecutions more than a year ago.

THE HSE and the Director of Public Prosecutions are working on a new protocol to deal with requests from defendants in rape cases for counselling notes, which retired DPP James Hamilton has described as a “tactic” designed to intimidate alleged victims.

MORE than one-third of suspects named in files sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions were not prosecuted last year, the office’s annual report has revealed.

THE huge burden faced by relatives of murder victims could be eased greatly if radical proposals for the overhaul of the criminal courts system are introduced, a leading pressure group claimed last night.