Sir, - At a time of high emotion, when people are struggling to come to terms with the evil and suffering caused by the Omagh bomb, a rational and principled reaction by the Government is all the more necessary.
Yes, the perpetrators must be brought to justice. That has always been a core message of Amnesty International in its dealings with governments around the world.
However, the mark of a civilised society is its observance of the rule of law acting in accordance with international standards. These international standards have been designed to uphold and protect human rights and they stand the test of time and reason.
It is outrageous that under a hastily created bad law, someone can be convicted on the word of a senior police officer combined with the silence of the accused.
This assumes that people are not entitled to a fair trial and undermines the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
It creates a potential breeding ground for ill-treatment in custody, particularly as the detention proposed is four days. It also creates the possibility of the imprisonment of innocent people, as has happened in the past.
In remembering the dead - one of whom, Jolene Marlow, was an Amnesty International member - and those who were maimed, together with the families whose lives have been torn apart, surely we should ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice but not by allowing the possibility of destroying even more innocent life. - Yours, etc.,
Mary Lawlor,
Director,
Amnesty International
Fleet Street,
Dublin 2.