Irish sentencing data is 'limited and inadequate', says new report

The report, by researchers at the University of Strathclyde, said deficits in information were most acute at District Court level, where the overwhelming majority of cases are heard. Picture: Larry Cummins

Current data on sentencing in Ireland is “profoundly limited and inadequate”, according to a major new study.

Research commissioned by the Judicial Council said the scale of the challenge to obtain reliable data to develop sentencing guidelines for judges can only be remedied by “a systematic concerted effort underpinned by significant and sustained investment.”