McDowell under fire for ‘totalitarian’ garda bill

A BILL being proposed by the Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has been condemned as totalitarian and an outrage by opposition parties. The bill provides for a penalty of up to five years in prison for gardaí who disclose official information to a journalist or other parties.

The initial draft of the Garda Bill 2003 includes a provision that prohibits members and civilian employees of the gardaí from disclosing any information to “any person or body” without lawful authority.

The Department of Justice yesterday stressed only the “heads” (an initial and general draft) of the bill have been published and that the minister would welcome submissions on the proposals.