Looks like Paschal has dropped the ball again.

RustyNut

So a bigger fine but no points for some speeders/phone users.

The first prosecutions to come before the courts where individuals convicted of traffic offences had failed to produce a driving licence for the application of points have been thrown out.

Twenty-one cases came before Dublin District Court this morning.

The defendants had all previously been before the courts for offences including speeding and driving while using a mobile phone.

RandomAccess

Bizzare that you would need to produce the licence given the scourge of gosafe vans and other gatsos don't need it.

Quite a few happy people, though I'm sure some of them deserved what they were going to get.

Its just another sign that the legal system is a farce.

Comhrá

RandomAccess wrote: »

Bizzare that you would need to produce the licence given the scourge of gosafe vans and other gatsos don't need it.

Quite a few happy people, though I'm sure some of them deserved what they were going to get.

Its just another sign that the legal system is a farce.

There's no doubt that between the driving laws and the bail laws in Ireland, if we were scrutinised by any other EU country, we'd be the legal laughing stock of Europe - in fact,we probably are anyway.

foxy farmer

Getting off on technicalities should be stopped. Crime or misdemeanour was committed. You are guilty deal with it. Pulling strokes in the face of the law should mean prison for a few days. In this day and age all this can or should be sorted or checked electronically. Definitely people giving the 2 fingers to the justice system.

Comhrá

foxy farmer wrote: »

Getting off on technicalities should be stopped. Crime or misdemeanour was committed. You are guilty deal with it. Pulling strokes in the face of the law should mean prison for a few days. In this day and age all this can or should be sorted or checked electronically. Definitely people giving the 2 fingers to the justice system.

True enough but when the law is so poorly drafted and with more loopholes than a string vest, it's hard to blame people, no matter how guilty, for exploiting these shortcomings. It's amazing how our laws are so amateurish and not fot for purpose.

RandomAccess

tippman1 wrote: »

True enough but when the law is so poorly drafted and with more loopholes than a string vest, it's hard to blame people, no matter how guilty, for exploiting these shortcomings. It's amazing how our laws are so amateurish and not fot for purpose.

That's what happens when we copy and paste from the UK.

Justice is broken. I have lost faith in it, and I did have some at one time. I was thinking the other day how I probably should have been a Guard in hindsight and that it would have been a career i would be suited to. But I know if I had taken that road I would be chronically depressed at the waste of my efforts as soon as it arrived at the door of the legal profession.

Sad really.

Melodeon

tippman1 wrote: »

True enough but when the law is so poorly drafted and with more loopholes than a string vest, it's hard to blame people, no matter how guilty, for exploiting these shortcomings. It's amazing how our laws are so amateurish and not fot for purpose.

If you ever have the misfortune to observe legislation being created that deals with a subject you are knowledgeable about, you'll despair even more

Jesus.

foxy farmer wrote: »

Getting off on technicalities should be stopped. Crime or misdemeanour was committed. You are guilty deal with it. Pulling strokes in the face of the law should mean prison for a few days. In this day and age all this can or should be sorted or checked electronically. Definitely people giving the 2 fingers to the justice system.

What you're saying is do away with the law and due process and just chuck people in jail. Are you serious?

Jesus.

RandomAccess wrote: »

Justice is broken. I have lost faith in it, and I did have some at one time. I was thinking the other day how I probably should have been a Guard in hindsight and that it would have been a career i would be suited to. But I know if I had taken that road I would be chronically depressed at the waste of my efforts as soon as it arrived at the door of the legal profession.Sad really.

I don't mean this in a bad way but most people on this Forum would be very unsuited to being Guards. You'd have the jails heaving with people for minor misdemeanors and the entire public turned against the Police with far reaching consequences.

foxy farmer

Jesus. wrote: »

What you're saying is do away with the law and due process and just chuck people in jail. Are you serious?[/quot
Well those that don't abide by law usually end up in court. But of course some people can't accept getting caught and being ridiculed in public, or a few points on their licence ,or a fine. People who get off on technicalities are cowards. Deliberately using a loophole is just showing contempt for law and order. Fling em in jail.

padraig.od

Jesus. wrote: »

I don't mean this in a bad way but most people on this Forum would be very unsuited to being Guards. You'd have the jails heaving with people for minor misdemeanors and the entire public turned against the Police with far reaching consequences.

If there were consequence for minor misdemeanors then people would be less likely to commit them.

Seth Brundle

foxy farmer wrote: »

People who get off on technicalities are cowards. Deliberately using a loophole is just showing contempt for law and order. Fling em in jail.

people who get off on technicalities are not showing contempt for the law, they're getting off because of the law. They may be showing contempt for the spirit of the law.
As for being a coward, that's a daft statement. If it as the difference between getting banned or not, would you step up to the plate?

As for jail - really? Jail someone for making use of the law?

The problem is down to badly written legislation that doesn't cover all angles. Those behind the planning, writing and testing of the laws before they are put to the Oireachtas are responsible. Should they be jailed?

Irish Steve

padraig.od wrote: »

If there were consequence for minor misdemeanors then people would be less likely to commit them.

There are supposed to be consequences, but our extremely highly paid civil servants and politicians have yet again proved themselves to be inept, incompetent and not fit for purpose, but unfortunately, there's no way we can throw the lot of them out and replace them with people that ARE capable and competent.

This is yet another failure to be added to the long list of failures by people who are supposed to be capable, which is supposedly why they are paid so highly for their services.

Shambles, and there should be consequences for the people that have yet again failed, but there never is, they have the system so well set up, there's no such thing as failure where the civil service and politicians are concerned, and no accountability for their failures.

Jesus.

padraig.od wrote: »

If there were consequence for minor misdemeanors then people would be less likely to commit them.

Good Lord

RandomAccess

Jesus. wrote: »

I don't mean this in a bad way but most people on this Forum would be very unsuited to being Guards. You'd have the jails heaving with people for minor misdemeanors and the entire public turned against the Police with far reaching consequences.