Ahern vows to press on with anti-gangland laws

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern today vowed to press ahead with controversial anti-gangland laws despite an appeal by 133 of the country’s leading lawyers for a last minute rethink.

Mr Ahern accused the senior and junior counsels and solicitors of signing up to a round robin letter and warned critics to read the radical reforms in full.

“I’d just caution people that they should read this legislation,” the Louth TD said.

The bill has been fast-tracked through the Oireacthas and includes sweeping powers such as non-jury trials for gangland crime and the power for junior gardai to give opinion evidence on gangs.

The defence and prosecution lawyers called for a reasoned debate and claimed the reforms have not been assessed to see what effect they will have on the rule of law.

They also claimed Ireland would be shamed by appeals to the European courts and ultimately when United Nations human rights chiefs rule on whether the laws should stand.

But Mr Ahern vowed not to re-examine the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill claiming it was right for gardaí on the ground, policing crime-ridden areas to give evidence on gangs.

“This expert evidence that is now being allowed potentially under this bill is in relation to the existence of a gang in a particular geographic area,” the minister said.

The bill does not allow references to the guilt or innocence of the accused, he said.

“It’s a scene setter in order to allow the court to have established in the court that there is in existence in a particular geographic area a criminal gang,” the minister said.

“This is not a seismic change in the criminal law, it is raising two offences - a new offence of directing a criminal organisation – in other words the people who don’t pull the trigger, the people who are orchestrating – and the second offence is the amended participation in a criminal gang.”

Oireachtas debates on the bill will finish on Friday before it goes to the Seanad next week and on to President Mary McAleese who has been asked by Labour to refer it to the Supreme Court before signing it into law.

Fine Gael supported the Bill in principle but severely criticised the lack of Dáil debate.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties have accused the Government of abusing the Dáil and operating a police state by fast-tracking the tough laws.

Laws already exist allowing the three judge non-jury Special Criminal Court to try both suspected terrorists and gangland cases. Mr Ahern insists the reforms are only an extension.