The Garda Complaints Board was described as "profoundly unsatisfactory" at yesterday's Garda conference on policing and human rights.
Mr Michael Farrell, solicitor and executive member of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, told the conference many solicitors advise their clients not to bring cases to the board.
"Solicitors do not believe that police investigating police can give a satisfactory outcome . . . it is a profoundly unsatisfactory state of affairs," he told the conference.
The Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, said the force was committed to playing a leading role in developing a culture protective of human rights. "Our mission framework and customer charter have placed human rights protection at the heart of Irish policing," added Mr Byrne. He said the Garda human-rights initiative aimed to raise awareness of human-rights standards, design and develop policy and education initiatives, and identify those who may be at risk of suffering violations.
Mr Farrell was also critical of the Garda report into the shooting dead by gardai of John Carthy and its selective leaking to a Sunday newspaper.
He described the report as "defensive and having been written from a bunker" and advised the force it must present the truth "warts and all" if it wished to retain public confidence.
Ms Anita Hazenberg, a senior Dutch police officer seconded to the Council of Europe, said accountability was the "most important component" in translating human-rights standards into practice.
"The crucial factor is that independent outsiders should carry out investigations into the complaint, not members of the police service only," she said.
Mr Mark Kelly, a human-rights consultant with the Council of Europe, said a "fully fledged" right of access to a solicitor and legal aid should be introduced.
The Garda Deputy Commissioner, Mr Peter Fitzgerald, said international standards in human rights should become a "minimum" for the Garda. i. However, he said the force must acknowledge that the public's trust of those in authority had declined.
"With this decline in trust the public now demand greater accountability on the part of those in authority and insist on the development of transparent controls to ensure that power is used in the public interest," he said.
Mr Fitzgerald said a growing number of actions were being taken by Garda management to support a human-rights ethos, including the establishment of a Garda quality service bureau, a Garda intercultural office and the development of employment equality initiatives.
"They are all small but significant steps towards ensuring that An Garda Siochana develops an organisational culture and ethos which is outward looking, respectful of human rights and the cultural diversity of all our people," added Mr Fitzgerald.
Sgt Sarah Meyler, said gardai had the power to take away a person's rights in order to protect the community but this did not amount to a carte blanche.
"Every police station in the country should be the safest place a person can be no matter what reason they are there," she added.