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PROPOSED LEGISLATION THAT would allow judges to recommend minimum prison terms when handing down life sentences has been approved by Cabinet, the Government has announced.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has today published a general scheme of the Life Sentences Bill 2024, which will now pass to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice for pre-legislative scrutiny.
The Department of Justice said the Government will also engage with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel to progress the drafting of the Bill.
Life sentences in Ireland mean an average of just over 21 years in jail, with judges unable to prescribe minimum jail terms in conjunction with them.
McEntee had signalled her intention to bring forward such legislation when she announced her Justice Plan 2022, promising to give judges more discretion in setting minimum sentences.
The government has said judges may be able to set the minimum at “25, 30 years or even longer “.
The average length of a jail term for a life sentence has increased over time, from 12 years from 1985 to 1994 to the current average of 21.25 years.
According to a Government statement, the Life Sentences Bill 2024 – when fully drafted and pending approval by the Oireachtas – would give sentencing judges “a formal role in informing decisions on the release of life-sentenced prisoners on parole”.
It added that when sentencing, “judges will make a recommendation on what minimum term should be served in prison before parole is granted”.
The Parole Board will then have to take that recommendation into account in making its decisions but the recommendation will be non-binding.
“The Parole Board will continue to be responsible for deciding when a person will be released,” the statement said, adding that a prisoner will not be automatically released after the judge’s recommended minimum term has been served.
Today’s announcement continues a legislative agenda on the part of the Government to come down harder on serious crime. There has been public backlash to some sentences issued for violent crime that many among the public have seen as too lenient.
Speaking to reporters this morning on the announcement the Taoiseach Simon Harris said “I think this is a major, significant legislative reform”.
He said it would empower the judiciary to “send a very clear message on behalf of society, that some crimes are so heinous that they would recommend a minimum tariff that should be spent in prison before parole becomes realised”.
Minister McEntee added that she had listened to victims, victims groups and the judiciary in putting forward this Bill and said “it is absolutely essential that when a person commits a crime that punishment matches the crime”.
She said that “it will be a legal obligation on the parole boards to take into consideration the recommendation that the judge has given at the time of sentencing”, adding that the change will “build on many other reforms that have been implemented to date”.
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First time I’ve seen it occupied in a while in fairness
I saw it – huge admiration to the pair for caring enough to do this…
Fair enough in my book. Well done to protesters. They’ve at the very least raised awareness about this. I for one didn’t know about the failure to compensate. Best of luck.
Me neither.
They’ll never see the “united colours” of my money!
What a dump of a store…. I’ve never seen a single thing in it I’d ever want to buy…
Apart from one Garda who was on the scene the protest seemed to be a peaceful one..
Are you suggesting the gardai would cause the protest not to be peaceful?
Occupy Wool Street?
Jeez and Dunnes workers think their working conditions are bad.
So you want to live in Bangladesh?
Chill Kevin, tragedies like this one are horrific and all I am saying is in comparative terms Dunnes workers have little to be complaining about.
Well if you compare it to footballers who have no need for qualifications and get to play football all day for 150k a week they do have something to complain about. What’s your point??
Dunnes workers don’t have to work in mortal danger to earn the right to complain about their conditions
Comparitive to denis obrien they deserve a wage increase of 100000%
My point for the third time, when you hear of awful tragedies like this where thousands perish at work it puts things into perspective how good our working conditions are here.
My minimum wage flexi hour contract severely disagrees with you
Throw away the shovel, Top Cat. You’re on a loser on this one.
He is right though Said the unpopular opinion puffin
In the first photo Benetton appears to be spelled Bennetton and in the third photo survivors is spelled Survivers… I’ll bet any takers not a single one of them can find Bangladesh on a map.
In fact I’m slightly disappointed not to see an attempt to write Bangladesh… I’m sure that would have been good for a laugh.
Have these people no jobs to go to, what about the inconvenience to shoppers, wasting police resources and so on and so forth.
How about not being a heartless tool, and so on and so forth
some waffle outta you kid !
wipe the shiite off yer lip
How about looking up sarcasm in a dictionary? In case you haven’t noticed these are the usual lines thrown out about water charge protesters.
The only thing I noticed was the shiite on yer lip
It could be worse it could be between my ears.
sorry Niall – didnt get the sarcasm at all man -
Oh Niall! I hate to say this but…!
Surprised protesters are allowed in the store.
Down with that sort of thing.
Cianan his name is Gerry Lydon not Donal.
The company’s failure to own up to the disaster and pay their contribution has nothing to do with store itself though! These protesters are jeopardising the employers and employees safety and privacy, by carelessly protesting in the middle of the store, and that is by no means peaceful. They are absolutely right to raise awareness but if they want effective results, why not contact the head office of the company itself? Why not go there and protest? What about the other stores around the country? This poorly organised protest is just an attention-seeking bid from individuals who are just protesting for the sake of it.
Hi guys. Gerry here. I helped organize and was involved with today’s protest. Just a few points : Neuromacer its easy to walk into a store that isn’t expecting. Drew go out and play with the traffic! Those talking about dunnes : Yes our lives are infinitely better but as we saw with some of the thongs they were fightong for, if employers get a taste for exploitation, in a globalized world we can feel the effect here as well as regard zero hours, union involvement etc. Anca I gonna presume your not the sort who ever actually does anything judging by the tone of your “whats the point of action comment”. While Id like to dismiss you as a waste of space, unfortunately your apathy and cynicism is quote common so to summarize getting publicity for a neglected cause is better than sitting round moaning. But as for the jeopatdizing safety and privacy, go back to sleep and stop throwing around terms! Ill see you in the morning glen. So finally nothing comes of nothing. If you care about something, put some effort in and get out there! The smallest acorns can become a big tree or at least a feature on a popular website! X.
Good on ye Gerry, hope you managed to stop them making sales today.
Because it would have damn all impact . Go up to the head office here and say, please play nicely and pay the money you owe? We all know most big corporations have to be dragged kicking and screaming to do the right thing. These people have had two years to pay the money they pledged. Time for them to be shamed into stumping up.
Hi Gerry, I dont think the Dunnes strike had anything to do with underwear.
A bottle of Lynx would get rid of them protestors! I’d say there’s an awful stink of piss in that shop at the moment.
They do make some nice clothes though
have your say