Law which allowed GSOC to access journalists’ phone records to be reviewed

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has committed to a review of legislation under which the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) was able to retrieve the phone records of two Irish journalists.

Reports emerged last week that GSOC had accessed two journalists’ mobile phone records during an inquiry into internal media leaks.

The Irish secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said the allegations that journalists’ records had been accessed without going through a court were “very worrying”.

GSOC’s statutory powers were brought in line with those of An Garda Síochána last year.

It has powers relating to interception of communications under the Interception of Postal Packages and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993 and surveillance under the Criminal Justice (Surveillance) Act 2009.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has said it is “a long-standing critic of Ireland’s lax accountability regime in this area”.

It has called for a thorough review and for Irish political parties to commit in their election manifestos to facilitating it.

Ms Fitzgerald said: “This raises complex issues of fundamental importance and I have reached the conclusion there is a need for a review of law and practice in this area.

“This review will have regard to any relevant judicial findings and ensure our law represents best international practice.”