IPRT is committed to promoting and supporting the development of prison litigation in Ireland. Since 2009, we have co-hosted with the ICBA and the DSBA a series of Prison Law Seminars. This series has provided CPD accredited expert seminars for barristers and solicitors on topical issues of prison law and also provided a platform for exchange of ideas and information between leading practitioners in this area.
We have also provided support and assistance for both barristers and solicitors involved in prison litigation. This has involved research on legal developments internationally or at the ECHR level, identifying potential expert witnesses, and directly providing expertise and information on the operation of the prison system. We will continue to provide this support and we welcome contact from any practitioners who would like assistance with relevant litigation.
5th December 2011
Highlights of this bulletin are two Irish cases related to immigration-related detention and one related to the concept of “guilty knowledge” in section 15A offences; a new UK case on the lawfulness of an extended period of segregation for safety purposes; and a large number of ECtHR decisions addressing the violation of a prisoner’s family rights, prison conditions including overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions.
1st December 2011
In a guest blog on KODLyons.ie, Liam Herrick writes on the potential for the use of the courts to advance penal reform in Ireland.
25th October 2011
Among the highlights of this bulletin are two Court of Criminal Appeal cases involving sentencing of Section 15A drug possession offences – Wall and Ormonde; a new Scottish case Docherty et al on slopping-out; a potentially significant US Supreme Court decision on mandatory strip searching - even for people detained for minor offences and fine default - in Florence v Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Burlington & Others; and a large number of ECtHR decisions.
18th July 2011
Highlights in this bulletin are the recent significant High Court decision in Kinsella; a new Scottish case Green and Ors on slopping-out; the ground-breaking US Supreme Court decision on overcrowding in Brown v Plata; and a large number of ECtHR decisions.
4th May 2011
IPRT is delighted to introduce practitioners to our first Prison Law Bulletin.
3rd August 2010
The Irish Sentencing Information System provides a new online tool for researching sentencing.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.