Sir, We hold it dear that one is innocent until proven guilty in court. One only has to be mistakenly arrested to fully appreciate the protection of the bail law. There may be prisoners on remand who may yet be proven to be innocent and are therefore falsely incarcerated.
However, we also hold it dear that the punishment should fit the crime. This should be true for each crime and for each time a crime is committed. Once convicted, the criminal should serve the appropriate sentence. If convicted of multiple crimes, then serve multiple sentences, consecutively.
The present norm of handing down concurrent sentences means that an arrested person released on bail, who considers it likely that he will be convicted in court, may carry out similar offences to the one for which he was arrested in anticipation that multiple sentences are likely to be imposed to run concurrently or indeed suspended altogether. So for the habitual criminal for whom crime is his "profession" it is a well calculated risk to re offend when out on bail. unpenalised crime does pay.
We do not need to amend the bail laws. We need to change sentencing practice. - Yours, etc.,
Crosthwaite Park East, Dun Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.