Government move to force stopgap data retention and amendment that could gag discussion on complaints prolong history of State bungling on data protection

Helen McEntee made move following court ruling on legal challenge by convicted murderer Graham Dwyer

Amendment will make disclosure of information deemed ‘confidential’ by Data Protection Commission an offence

Department of Justice has ‘no comment’ on allegation by Digital Rights Ireland

Caolan Smyth (30) and Gary McAreavey (55) are asking the court to quash their convictions and to reject phone data as inadmissible

Appeals are likely to have implications for any potential Supreme Court appeal by Graham Dwyer

Case raises issues about correct balance between data privacy rights and effective prosecution of serious crime

Cases involving man convicted of murdering Elaine O’Hara were before five different courts in eight years

Lawyers argued outcome of 2015 trial unsafe but prosecution insisted there was ‘overwhelming’ evidence to support it

Phone call data evidence ‘not that significant’ and was just ‘icing’ on the prosecution case against Dwyer, court said

District Court will need an estimated four days a week to hear Garda applications to retain/access phone metadata

Graham Dwyer case is a consequence of Government inaction on data laws

Court has reserved judgement in Dwyer’s appeal against his conviction for the murder of care worker Elaine O’Hara in 2012

Counsel for convicted killer says ‘everything’ European court said about dangers of data retention had happened in his client’s case

Dwyer to rely on phone metadata ruling in bid to overturn conviction

Appeal against 2015 conviction for murder of Elaine O’Hara is scheduled to last two days

New Bill over phone metadata retention expected to become law next week

Gardaí will be permitted to ‘quick freeze’ data for use as evidence

Evidence to be used as part of potential International Criminal Court prosecutions

ECJ ruling will boost his appeal against conviction, but he has obstacles to overcome