A chara, - During the rather understated debate on the bail referendum politicians of all the major, parties called for a Yes vote, in order to "tip the balance in favour of the victim". Yet in the real world, the best way to.
Victims rights is to reduce crime, and the Government has shown us no evidence that this referendum will reduce crime. Indeed, the law in England already allows courts to refuse bail on suspicion that an accused will commit future crime, yet more crimes are committed there on bail that under our supposedly liberal bail laws.
There are other more effective ways of reducing crime. If the Government were really committed to victims rights, it could. reduce delays in the system between charge and trial; make the monitoring of those on bail more efficient; reform sentencing procedures; commit resources to tackling unemployment and economic deprivation; devise an extensive drug rehabilitation and treatment programme, and develop a well researched and long term strategy - to, give the criminal justice system the overhaul it so badly needs.
But in the absence of any real commitment to reducing crime or tackling its causes, the Government instead has held an expensive and unnecessary referendum as a cosmetic exercise to win votes. It has asked us to take this referendum on trust, but at the resent time it does not deserve" hat trust. - Is mise
Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology,
Trinity College,
Dublin.
