I read the paper everyday and the sentences handed down to people in most cases no matter what the crime are way to short and lenient in my opinion and it bugs me more and more when i see some of the sentences. There should be a zero tolerance policy and much longer sentences. The latest one that i dont understand is below. They killed a person regardless if they didnt mean to,they should at LEAST be serving 12 years,if that was my brother or whatever id be outraged at those sentences. There gona come out of prison even worse little scumbags in their mid 20s. Three sentenced over Limerick manslaughter Monday, 30 July 2007 20:26 The mother of a man who was killed by members of a Limerick gang has called for an end to the senseless killings of innocent people. Bernadette Coughlan made the plea in the Central Criminal Court, as three men were sentenced for their part in the manslaughter of her son. Darren Coughlan, 18, was killed in Limerick almost two years ago. Joseph Keane, 19, from Greenhills Road, Garryowen in Limerick and Richard Treacy also 19-years-old and from St Mary's Park in Limerick city were each sentenced to six years in prison. Shane Kelly, 20, who has 71 previous convictions, was sentenced to seven years in prison. As the sentences were handed down, Mr Keane and Mr Kelly laughed and smiled at each other. Mr Kelly winked at a friend or family member in the public benches. As they were led away, all three men were smiling. Mr Keane is the son of Limerick criminal figure Kieran Keane, who was murdered in January 2003. Richard Treacy is the brother of Owen Treacy who was stabbed multiple times in the same incident in January 2003. Last week five other Limerick men lost their appeal against their convictions for the murder of Mr Keane and the attempted murder of Mr Treacy. Mr Justice Paul Carney said today he had warned the families of those men that they would die in prison if there was not an end to the feud. He said no heed had been paid to his warning.
I understand your anger, to give another example, if you have 13,000 euros of drugs in your possession, it's a mandatory 10 years, however it's obvious that the judiciary are not acting as a common force as far as sentencing goes...perhaps a report by the law reform commission will be implimented to legislation on this matter...
the justice system in this country is a joke lads been honest theres laws in our constitution that go way back before the nation was even got independence, our rehabilitation system for offenders is a joke too, the sex offenders register doesn't allow parents to check for know paedophiles in there areas its a joke. Look at whats going on with the gang related stuff, the gardai are too afraid. Not bad mouthing them or anything but i see every saturday nite no one is afraid of the gardai anymore.
Would defo agree. I always think its mad when your in the cinema and it says you could get 10 years for videotaping it (altho u never would really), you'd get alot less for murder
Like to add something else, the gangland stuff is getting like compton in the 80's with the crips and bloods
With some of these laws, following the 1937 constitution, these were all absorbed and they are considered to be consistent with the constitution until challenged or repealed, whereby they can be deemed to be inconsistant...
The constitution is a joke. It can be interpreted in so many different ways depending on the judge. Inconsistent & Leniant are definitely the words that best describes our legal system Case 1) A man who was jailed for four years for defrauding €2.3 million through bogus pension scheme commission has been given an additional two years for further frauds in which he pretended to be his brother. Case 2) A 21-year-old student was today sentenced to four years in jail for the manslaughter of Cork schoolboy Robert Holohan. (Dont question my examples I cant remember if second one was appealed or what they're just examples really) Moral of the story is killing wont really get you much time but try know off pensioners and you'll pay!!
But what has the Constitution got to do with the lenght of prison sentences?...they are determined in accordance with legislation passed by the Government of the day...
Maybe I should have specified that they were two points, one about the constitution and one about length of sentances!! Studied law and realised how the constitution can be interpreted in many many ways and then the length of prison sentances is just my opinion
I'm a final year law student in UCD myself...the Constitution is interpreted in various ways, with three primary approaches, the literal, purposive and harmonious...in the majority, the judiciary utilise the same method to interpret the constitution, and this is also replicated in the EU, with the ECJ and the Treaty...