McDowell refutes jury leniency claims

Minister for Justice Michael McDowell insisted today he didn’t believe juries outside Dublin were more lenient than those in the capital.

Mr McDowell did however suggest there may be regional variations in sentencing as the Courts Service Annual Report revealed defendants in Dublin trials are nearly three times more likely to be convicted by a jury than those in the regions.

The report showed defendants pleaded guilty in 67% of trials outside Dublin, and in 85% of cases in the capital.

Some 11% of hearings in the provinces resulted in acquittal, compared to 4% in Dublin.

And while 43% of guilty defendants outside Dublin were handed down suspended sentences, the figure was 31% in the city.

“I don’t really believe that juries in Ireland vary regionally very substantially in their understanding of the issues before them or in their disposition to acquit,” Mr McDowell said.

“It’s tempting to say there is disparity in sentencing policy across the country, and maybe there is, but there are other factors as well, such as the seriousness of crime, the prevalence of crime, the capacity of the probation service to keep people on the straight and narrow if they’re given suspended sentences and the like.

“It may be in some parts of the country there are good reasons for adopting different sentencing regimes and that it’s possible for offenders to be kept on the straight and narrow without sentencing them to jail.”

Mr McDowell said while there was much to reflect upon in the report, people should not jump to conclusions.