7th May 2024
On 7 May 2024, Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) published a research report into the use of pre-trial detention and the denial of bail in Ireland.
The report, titled Improving Judicial Assessment of Flight Risk, makes 15 recommendations to legislators, prosecutors, judges and practitioners to reverse the trend towards more and more people being held in pre-trial detention.
Speaking at the launch event, Dr. Helen Kehoe, Legal and Public Affairs Manager at Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT), said:
“At a time when we have almost 1,000 people in pre-trial detention, often for longer periods of time, we should be looking to bail as a way to take pressure off the system.
“IPRT agrees with the report’s recommendation to stop the practice of refusing bail for non-serious offences. We are concerned that pre-trial detention can undermine the presumption of innocence as well as having a severe psychological impact on the person detained.”
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.