Legislators and GSOC have failed - Snooping on journalists

IT is entirely appropriate that Taoiseach Enda Kenny should rebuke the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission for secretly examining the phone records — and possibly emails — of journalists over a minor complaint in a case that had absolutely nothing to do with State security or organised crime.

It is entirely appropriate too that the legislation which facilitated such an ill-judged, counter-productive misadventure is to be immediately reviewed, though an imminent general election means that any legislative change depends on the priorities of the next Government. Even if legislation is long-fingered it is impossible to imagine that GSOC, or any other State agency, will use current regulations in such a cack-handed way again. Or at least it should be.

GSOC is no stranger to controversy, controversies that unfortunately undermine its potential to be an agent for change and reform within our insular, conservative police force. Set up as a watchdog to deal with complaints against the gardaí the body set in train a chain of career-ending events two years ago when it claimed its offices were bugged. The subsequent controversy, in one way or another, cost the then Justice Minister Alan Shatter and the then Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan their jobs. Those allegations were found to be groundless by retired High Court judge John Cooke who, after an extensive investigation, concluded there was no evidence of bugging by any person or group, and “much less” that the gardaí might have been responsible.