Bill lets public use lethal force on intruders

THE new home defence bill has shifted the balance of rights back to the house owner “where it should always have been”, say gardaí.

The Association of Garda Sergeants (AGSI) and Inspectors also said it was ridiculous to suggest the bill provided a “have-a-go charter” to homeowners and said the current situation, which legally demands a house owner retreat from an intruder, was “intolerable”.

The association was responding to the Criminal Law (Defence and the Dwelling) Bill 2010, which was published by Justice Minister Dermot Ahern yesterday. Under the bill: