Pubdate: Sat, 16 Dec 2006
Source: Irish Examiner (Ireland)
Copyright: Examiner Publications Ltd, 2006
Contact:  http://www.irishexaminer.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/144
Author: Jimmy Woulfe And Harry Mcgee

MCDOWELL ATTACKS JUDGES OVER 'SOFT' SENTENCES

Justice Minister Michael McDowell and Garda  Commissioner Noel Conroy
launched an unprecedented  attack on the judiciary yesterday, accusing
some judges  of being "soft" on criminals.

The Tanaiste accused judges of ignoring the will of the  people and
the Oireachtas by handing down lenient  sentences in serious drugs
cases. He was also critical  of "soft judges" allowing hardened
criminals out on  bail in the face of strong garda objections. 
Commissioner Conroy said he supported the views.

Five people have died violently since last Friday,  including
apprentice plumber Anthony Campbell, aged 20,  who was shot dead in a
Finglas house on Tuesday before  gunmen killed their intended target
- -- drug lord Martin  "Marlo" Hyland.

Speaking at Templemore College where the first 36  members of the
Garda Reserve graduated, Mr McDowell  said that despite the
legislature voting in mandatory  minimum 10- year jail sentences for
major drugs  offences, in up to 80% of cases judges failed to impose 
the minimum term.

"It is not for the Minister for Justice to lecture the  judiciary but
it is very clear to me that something is  going wrong in the
application of that. I am appealing  to them to look again at that law
and come up with a  policy which corresponds with the clear
legislative  intention.

"Ten years is what people do deserve. The damage these  people are
doing is so big that 10 years is in fact the  minimum the legislature
says should be imposed in these  type of cases, and life is the maximum."

On last night's Late Late Show, Mr McDowell said he  would prefer if
special categories of crime, such as  serious firearms and drug
trafficking offences, could  be referred to a small panel of judges,
which could  mean fewer criminals out on bail.

Commissioner Conroy, who was also at Templemore, said  it was the
opinion of some gardai that their objections  to bail were not treated
seriously enough.

"If the law says certain things, we would hope that's  what happens,"
he said.

However, the opposition ridiculed the Tanaiste's  attack, claiming he
was passing the buck in relation to  his failure to come to grips with
the gangland crisis.

Fine Gael's Jim O'Keeffe said the minister would do  better speaking
in private to the judges about  sentencing and bail policy rather than
resorting to the  megaphone to excoriate them in public.

Labour's Brendan Howlin said Mr McDowell was trying to  blame
everybody but himself for failures in dealing  with gun gangs.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin