Human rights body: Abolition 'the only viable solution' for Special Criminal Court

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission said the court affects a number of fundamental rights including the right to silence and the right to a fair trial

Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Sinéad Gibney, said: “The extension of the Special Criminal Court to tackle organised crime has seen it evolve into an institution that is far removed from the circumstances it was established to address in 1972." File photo: Leah Farrell/Rollingnews.ie

The State’s human rights authority says the Special Criminal Court should be abolished outright.

The intervention of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) comes as a high-level Government committee is examining the future of the non-jury court.