Breath-testing: FG accuses McDowell of interfering with judiciary

Fine Gael is accusing the Minister for Justice Michael McDowell of trying to interfere with the independence of the judiciary by telling them how to deal with drink-driving cases.

The party claims Minister McDowell acted improperly in trying to persuade judges to ignore possible constitutional issues arising from planned new laws on random breath-testing.

Justice spokesperson Jim O'Keeffe said the minister is setting a dangerous precedent: “It’s not a matter for the minister to be telling the judges how to do their job as he did on Thursday when he ordered judges not to make a federal issue of proposed new legislation for random breath testing.

“The minister’s job is to prepare proper legislation, bring it before the Oireachtas, make sure it is properly debated, and let us pass it into law. It is then a matter for the judges independently to deal with cases before the courts,” he said.