CRIMINALS should have their details published online in a similar way to tax evaders, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has suggested.
The Fianna Fail Minister has also revealed plan to next month push forward with Valerie’s Law to strip guardianship rights from parents who murder their partners.
People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger today brought forward a Dail motion calling for a range of measures to tackle gender-based violence.
These include banning the use of a victim’s counselling notes in court and the end of character references for people convicted of gender-based violence.
Speaking at the launch of a campaign by Cuan – the Government’s Sexual and Gender Based Violence Agency – the Minister complimented Deputy Coppinger’s motion and said there are many proposals which he supports.
He said that the issue of a victim’s counselling notes being used in court cases was dealt with by the Oireachtas in 2017 and he is concerned that the wishes of the Dail are not being adhered to in the courts.
He promised to “take another look” at the issue and introduce further legislation if it is required to end the practice.
On character references for people convicted of domestic violence, the Minister said they should only be used with an affidavit or if someone is willing to go into court to give the reference in person.
He said: “Anyone who decides that they are going to give a character reference should know that they are going to be cross examined on this and they are going to have to stand over what they say.”
Minister O’Callaghan also revealed that he plans to bring a memo to Government next month to press ahead with Valerie’s Law to remove guardianship rights for parents convicted of murdering their partner.
The legislation is named after mum-of-three Valerie French who was murdered by her partner James Kilroy in 2019.
Despite being sentenced to life in prison for the murder of their mother, Kilroy retains guardianship rights over her children which means he has a right to know where they are and be involved in major decisions in their life.
Minister O’Callaghan plans to bring forward Valerie’s Law to Cabinet next month before it is drawn up by the Attorney General and brought to the Dail.
The Fianna Fail TD also proposed the idea of publishing information about people convicted of serious crimes in a similar way to how the tax evaders list is published each year.
Asked about Jennie’s Law, which calls for the introduction of an online register for people convicted of domestic violence, the Minister said he would like to see more transparency around all criminal convictions.
MORE TRANSPARENCY NEEDED
He said: “I find it incomprehensible that if people are convicted of serious indictable offenses in this country that the only way we find out about it is through a journalist being present in the court.
“We publish details of tax evaders in this country and yet we don’t have any system whereby we publish information about people convicted of serious criminal offences.”
Jennie’s Law is named after Jennifer Poole who was murdered by her ex-partner Gavin Murphy.
Her killer had previously been jailed for attacking another former partner – something Jennifer was unaware of when they were together.
