Criminals undermine democracy, says Martin

Violent criminals are undermining democracy but the law alone can’t bring them to book, the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin has warned.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said social issues such as inequality and marginalisation, as well as mental illness, all contributed to criminality and the problem needed a wide-ranging response.

“One cannot expect nor should one expect the courts to provide solutions to the many social challenges that sometimes find their most dramatic expression within the courtroom.