Policing

A special Garda operation targeting non-Irish nationals convicted of sexual crimes has led to the removal of 25 sex offenders from the State. Operation Moonridge commenced in 2025 and involves identifying and locating convicted sex offenders of interest to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB

The UK's home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has been criticised after naming the panopticon as her model for the British criminal justice system. In an interview with Tony Blair, Ms Mahmood — who served as the UK's justice secretary from July 2024 to September 2025 — said her vision in tha

Powers to intercept communications are to be overhauled for the first time since the advent of the smartphone, the government has announced. The Communications (Interception and Lawful Access) Bill will update and replace the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation

The PSNI is set to publish mugshots of criminals who have been imprisoned for at least 12 months under a new policy. Many other UK police forces already release custody photos of people imprisoned for serious offences.

New legislation on Garda powers will respond to judgments from the Supreme Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2025 was published just after Christmas and will modernise and consolidate the statutory basis for certain Garda powers, inc

An Garda Síochána is at risk of missing performance targets due to resource issues, training needs and delays in required legislation, according to a new report. The Policing and Community Safety Authority (PCSA) has published its assessment of the force's policing performance througho

Gardaí will be enabled to use biometric recognition technologies, including facial images, to investigate serious criminal offences under newly published draft legislation. The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2025 provides for the retrospective use of bi

More than 100 gardaí are to be equipped with tasers as part of a six-month pilot programme. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has expressed deep concern over the pilot, which will be rolled out in Dublin, Waterford and Kilkenny.

Human rights lawyer Noeline Blackwell has been appointed as an expert adviser to Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman. The former CEO of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre will assist the watchdog as an expert adviser on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of provisions of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 which prescribe the offence of failing to comply with a request to provide passwords or biometric data to seized digital devices without lawful excuse. Delivering judgment for

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has launched a new survey to gather information from people who have been arrested at peaceful protests in Ireland. This new initiative is part of the organisation’s ongoing work to monitor the right to peaceful protest in Ireland and evolutions in

The Supreme Court has determined that participants to the State Witness Security Programme are not entitled to the issue of a new birth certificate which records their altered identity. Delivering the lead judgment for the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell observed that "it cannot b

The Supreme Court has determined that the Garda Commissioner could not rely on s.9 of the Criminal Law Act 1976 to retain a garda’s phone for the purposes of a Garda disciplinary investigation. Delivering judgment for the majority of the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Brian Murray concluded that s.

Rioters who attacked gardaí and property at a racist protest outside the Citywest asylum seeker accommodation centre yesterday "will be brought to justice", Jim O'Callaghan has vowed. Gardaí were pelted with missiles and fireworks and a Garda van was set on fire during the public disor

The policing of a Palestine solidarity demonstration earlier this month violated both Garda policies and Ireland's international human rights obligations, according to a new report. The Irish Network of Legal Observers has published its first-ever report, which focuses on a protest which took place