Complaints time limit sees gardaí avoid court

THE vast majority of complaints against gardaí cannot result in a prosecution because the investigations are not completed within the required time, the State prosecutor said yesterday.

The Director of Public Prosecutions called on Justice Minister Michael McDowell to address the matter under legislation for the establishment of the garda ombudsman.

A DPP spokeswoman said the six-month time limit for summary prosecutions in the district courts applied to cases dealt with through the garda complaints procedure, as well as prosecutions generally.