Lawyers dismiss calls for televised court proceedings

Criminal lawyers have expressed reservations in relation to the AGSI president's suggestion that all murder, manslaughter and kidnapping trials be televised.

Paschal Feeney made his comments yesterday at the annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors.

Mr Feeney said he felt the general public should see at first hand the pressures that witnesses and victims of crime are placed under.

He said the extent of witness intimidation and its effects would become clear to viewers if proceedings were televised.

However, criminal lawyers say his proposal is not very well thought out and could actually make the problem worse.

They say televising proceedings could actually discourage witnesses from taking the stand.