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Pringle questions reasons for continuing Special Criminal Court
- Updated: 28th June 2023
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, said he is not satisfied there are good reasons to continue the Special Criminal Court.
Addressing the Dáil on Tuesday, Deputy Pringle said: “I’ve heard a lot of members talk today about what would we do without the Special Criminal Court, and the Special Criminal Court is vitally important in terms of protecting the State. That may be the case, but there’s no evidence provided in relation to that anywhere at all.
“The Special Criminal Court has been in operation for so long that we don’t know what effect it has had. And to say that the Special Criminal Court had a calming effect on the IRA campaign that went on for 30-odd years – I don’t think it did. I don’t think it made any difference to the campaign.”
He said it could also be argued that the court has made no difference to drug crime across the State.
Deputy Pringle said: “So I’m not satisfied that there is enough reason there to maintain this.”
The deputy said the presumption of innocence “should be the prime thing that we’re talking about”.
Deputy Pringle said: “I think the Special Criminal Court was put up so that guards’ evidence wouldn’t be challenged,” adding, “The sole purpose of the Special Criminal Court has been to guarantee convictions and that is the reality of the situation.”
He said: “If it is about protection of juries, show us the evidence. Show us that there is evidence there that juries are being tampered with.”
The deputy was speaking during debate on the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009. He said reports from the recent expert review group established to review the Special Criminal Court were good, particularly the minority report.
Deputy Pringle said: “There have been plenty of cases where people have been wrongly convicted in the Special Criminal Court and they served long sentences.”
“I think that’s enough to make sure that the Special Criminal Court shouldn’t be there, because it’s wrong,” he said.
The deputy said: “And I think that as a society we should be able to protect jurors and it’s interesting as well, the minority report talks about how there are things that could be done for the protection of juries. None of that was tried. I don’t think any of that has been tried.”
Deputy Pringle concluded: “I think the point of having this review every year in the Dáil is that at least there’s some scrutiny. At least there’s some protection.”
“Because if this were put on a permanent basis it would be gone, forgotten about, and the people who are tried before that Court will be forgotten about as well. They’ll be throwing the key away.
“I think we’ll all suffer in relation to that because justice will not be done,” he said.
