Key justice issues at forefront of Irish election today

Key justice proposals in the party manifestos include Sinn Féin’s commitment to scrapping the juryless Special Criminal Court and Fianna Fáil’s proposal to create a sentencing commission and a new victim’s surcharge.

Fine Gael has said it will defend its reputation as “the party of law and order” by investing in An Garda Síochána and by introducing new measures, including pre-trial hearings, to reduce trial delays.

Labour’s proposals include reform of the judicial appointments system and a new drugs strategy which would involve putting the Drugs Court on a statutory footing and expanding its remit across the country.

A breakdown of party promises was included in the latest edition of the Law Society Gazette.

In a statement yesterday, the Irish Council of Civil Liberties (ICCL) issued a last-minute call for candidates to “nail their colours to the mast” on abortion law reform.

Mr Mark Kelly, executive director of the ICCL, said: “This election offers an opportunity to vote for candidates who have clearly expressed their support for abortion law reform so that, in future, Ireland’s laws will respect the bodily autonomy of women in line with our international human rights obligations.”