Policing

Proposed legislation giving undercover police and MI5 agents explicit permission to commit criminal offences goes "too far" and should be watered down, a former head of the English prosecution service has said. Lord Macdonald of River Glaven, who served as director of public prosecutions from 2003 t

Gardaí with special training in domestic and sexual violence are now available across the State following the completion of the rollout of Garda Divisional Protective Services Units (DPSUs). The launch of the Meath/Westmeath unit today fulfils a government commitment to complete the rollout o

Undercover police and MI5 agents will be given explicit permission in law to commit criminal offences under new legislation introduced by the UK government. The Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS) Bill has been introduced to provide a "clear and consistent statutory basis for a limited number o

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has expressed serious concern at reports of garda using anti-spit guards on children and vulnerable people with mental health issues. The Commission has joined other human rights groups, such as the Children's Rights Alliance and the Irish Council for C

Tasers should be made more widely available to frontline PSNI officers despite the force failing to record its use of force accurately, a watchdog has said. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) today published its report on the PSNI's treatment of its workforce and the people of N

A new podcast launched by academics at Dublin City University (DCU) will explore people's first-hand experiences with gardaí. The Policed in Ireland podcast is hosted by Dr Vicky Conway, one of Ireland's leading researchers on policing, and begins today on the Tortoise Shack.

Plans to introduce new Garda powers to close bars and restaurants which breach COVID-19 health regulations have been unveiled by ministers. The Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020 will provide for three types of closure orders that may be issued to a bar or restaurant in circu

An Garda Síochána's routine use of spit hoods during the COVID-19 pandemic is incompatible with human rights law on torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, civil liberties campaigners have said. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) called

Garda enforcement powers should not be reintroduced as part of the partial reinstatement of COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has said. The civil liberties group reiterated the position it has held since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis that public he

The Policing Authority has raised concerns over the conduct of gardaí at a controversial and high-profile eviction in Dublin last week. Video footage which went viral on social media shows the nine tenants of the property on Berkeley Road in Phibsborough being evicted by private security pers

A new information sharing agreement has been struck between the PSNI and the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI). The new memorandum follows months of discussions prompted by police failures to disclose "significant" evidence related to legacy cases to the watchdog.

Human rights group Liberty has won a ground-breaking legal challenge in the UK against police use of facial recognition technology. In a judgment handed down today, the Court of Appeal agreed with Liberty’s submissions, on behalf of Cardiff resident Ed Bridges, 37, and found South Wales Police

An Garda Síochána's response to domestic abuse during the COVID-19 crisis is "the best it has ever been in Ireland", a new report suggests. The Policing Authority yesterday published its half-year assessment of policing performance, which highlights in particular the success of Operati

Two retired police officers identified as suspects in fatal shootings during riots in Belfast at the start of the Troubles will not be prosecuted, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has said. Prosecutors examined the deaths of 20-year-old Hugh McCabe, nine-year-old Patrick Rooney and 28-year-old S

More than a third of women in Ireland feel unsafe walking in their neighbourhood at night, according to new research. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) yesterday published the findings of its Crime and Victimisation Survey 2019.