Mick Clifford: Curious Garda probe leading to suspended lives

Good policing includes the application of natural justice and proportionality. Neither appears to be present in the case of the gardaí in Limerick who have been suspended since November 7 last year as part of an investigation by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation into fixing road traffic tickets, writes Mick Clifford

One senior garda was interviewed about the matter in the salubrious environment of his solicitor’s office, which contrasted greatly with the junior members being subjected to questioning in Garda stations. File picture: Denis Minihane.

Last Saturday, the Irish Examiner published a story in which reporter Ann Murphy interviewed a garda who has been suspended from his organisation. There was a time when suspension from An Garda Síochána signalled a grave offence. 

This would probably have included being charged with assault, or maybe corruption of some sort, or, at the very least, a conviction for drink driving. There were, in the past, incidents in which a garda charged with a grave offence was not suspended until the day he appeared in court to answer the charge.