Major changes likely in Garda interrogations after ruling

Major changes in the way gardaí carry out interrogations will have to be adopted after the Supreme Court said suspects should be allowed access to solicitors before they are questioned.

The unanimous ruling from the five Supreme Court judges throws into doubt potentially hundreds of ongoing criminal prosecutions as well as convictions currently awaiting appeal.

It means any information provided by suspects who asked to see a solicitor but whose questioning began before the solicitor arrived cannot be used as evidence in a subsequent court case.