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Child Item

Is the DPP acting in the public interest?

political analyst

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/0506/1381092-dpp-funding/

Last week, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said that its current level of funding is not enough for a modern prosecution service.

However, it has seen fit to decide to prosecute a garda in connection with the deaths of three burglars who died when their getaway car was destroyed in a crash as they were pursued by gardaí, even though it was driver of the getaway car who decided to drive the wrong way on a one-way road. GSOC disclosed the DPP's decision at the inquest yesterday.

In a similar case in London last year, a police officer stood trial on charges of dangerous driving causing death even though it was the driver who the officer was pursing that caused the deaths. That officer was acquitted.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-63892610

So why would the DPP in this country consider it to be a worthwhile spending of public money to prosecute the garda in connection with the deaths of the burglars?

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a clanger

There were reports that violent/aggravated burglary went down by 75% in Leinster after these 'victims' of an over zealous Garda removed themselves from society. These renegade unarmed Garda who have uphold our laws while dealing with 'victims' who after 200 convictions have lost faith in the justice system. The Garda should be made an example of too all. I suggest a Scott medal and parade him in front of the President at the Aras.

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584001#Comment_120584001

The DPP doesn't always act in the public interest IMO. Sometimes they are utterly incompetent and bias and bend to the flavour of the month.

I wonder what "evidence" the DPP was looking at when a decision to charge Sil Fox was made. Maybe they missed the CCTV footage they had in the file? The DPP have a choice and plenty of resources if they didn't waste so much time prosecuting cases with no merit and no chance of a conviction.

SEPT 23 1989

Nothing is independent in a small country

lmao10

You either support corruption or you don't.

If someone commits a crime, they should be punished with accordance to the law.

I hope the garda in this case gets off because these lads were no loss to society. They would only have burgled and traumatised some more people and had kids who are likely to grow up and do the same.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584279#Comment_120584279

I think the OP seems to think that the "public interest" includes factoring in the character of the people involved in this situation. This is not the case.

Here's the DPP website's own words of the role that "public interest" plays in their decisions.

How do we decide if there is a ‘public interest’ in prosecuting?

Even if there is enough evidence, the DPP must also decide if there is a public interest in prosecuting.

In considering the public interest, the DPP must take a number of factors into account, including the interests of the victim, the suspect and the wider community.

There is a clear public interest in making sure that the wrongdoer is prosecuted, convicted and punished when a crime is committed. The more serious the crime and the stronger the evidence, the more likely it is that it will be in the public interest to prosecute

https://www.dppireland.ie/victims-witnesses/how-we-make-prosecution-decisions/

It's clear that "public interest" is weighed in favour of prosecuting when the evidence is strong and the charge is serious.

Contrary to the OP's suggestion, it's not the case that the "public interest" is determined to be diminished just because there's a Garda and the death of known criminals involved.

Overheal

I don't honestly see how in general the DPP is the rub.

My impression of your headlines and thread titles over the years across the Boards fora is not that 'scum aren't being prosecuted etc' you do still get that sentiment too, but far from it, they're usually in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out and in (I'm not copy pasting I swear) in and out and in and out of court. Lenient sentencing seems to be the rub, lack of prisons or precise targeting of the right criminals to keep jailed etc. seems to be the rub. 'DUI? Dead kid? Sorry about it? Got money? Good lad, suspended sentence' etc. and whole reams of ink, kilowatts of boards server power spent talking about the likes of martin nolan over the years too.

Which is not to say the DPP can only be examined by comparison, but it's a pretty stark comparison.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584049#Comment_120584049

sorry just saw mod warning -

Get Real

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584279#Comment_120584279

The DPP is absolutely tasked with acting in the public interest. The term "public interest" occurs 42 times in their 2019 guidelines, link below.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.dppireland.ie/publication/guidelines-for-prosecutors-5th-edition-december-2019/&ved=2ahUKEwjrrJOZ4e3-AhUoxgIHHXvzAq4QFnoECAoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3E31RaOpXAOm-SJ4B87Z6t

Even where evidence exists, the prosecutor must follow up and ask whether it is in the public interest to prosecute and also, if there are reasons why in the public interest a prosecution shouldn't take place. Section 4.6.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058296090/is-the-dpp-acting-in-the-public-interest

The DPP is not tasked with acting in the public interest, if you want to make up the rules and then get all up set about that is on you, nobody needs justify it to you.

Ten of Swords

Mod - There is a thread discussing the 3 burglars that died in that crash, and the subsequent possibility of a garda facing charges, we do not need another one. Please discuss that issue here

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058199039/what-do-you-even-call-this-funeral-procession-joyride-maybe#latest

Please keep this thread to discussing the funding of, and overall role of, the DPP rather than pick apart specific cases. Thanks

eggy81

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584127#Comment_120584127

It’ll be interesting to see if it is reckless driving causing death in that case.

Overheal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584130#Comment_120584130

Two decades ago, a girl was severely injured by a driver who was involved in an unlawful race with another driver. The DPP decided not to prosecute.

Personally I think we should focus more on these settled cases not on current/new cases still to go before the irish circuit to have the talk about DPP and the public interest. The Garda agencies and union groups etc. have said their piece that's all there is for now anyway right.

Do you have a link to this story or anything we can expand on? You seem quite more familiar with it.

political analyst

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584102#Comment_120584102

There's no evidence that the DPP is susceptible to lobbying. Two decades ago, a girl was severely injured by a driver who was involved in an unlawful race with another driver. The DPP decided not to prosecute. There was uproar and so James Hamilton, who was DPP at the time, commissioned an independent council to review the case but the DPP's original decision still stood due to insufficient evidence. Hamilton was interviewed about the case. He denied that the suspect's cultural background had anything to do with the decision.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584049#Comment_120584049

They quite often choose to stop a chase because of the danger posed to the public.

Gatling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584096#Comment_120584096

I wonder why

political analyst

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584075#Comment_120584075

Why would the DPP cave-in to pressure from the families of the dead burglars? That's not how it works. Actually, I got the impression from reading yesterday on the RTÉ News website that the families were annoyed that the inquest is being adjourned.

Overheal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584044#Comment_120584044

You only quoted half the statment,

"However, as we do no know the details or context of any possible charges, it would be inappropriate to comment any further at this time except to say that the association will be providing any assistance and supports we can to our colleague at this time."

Gatling

Likey the families involved put pressure on the right people to make sure this gets blamed on someone else and they get entitled to a large settlement for all the families involved

political analyst

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584044#Comment_120584044

This isn't about a firearms officer - this is about a garda involved in the pursuit of a getaway car that crashed because that car's driver chose to go into a dangerous situation. There is a perception that the ability of police officers on both sides of the border on the island of Ireland and in Britain to protect the public is being hindered by what is cynically regarded as 'wokeness' - for want of a better word.

bucketybuck

People don't even know what the charge is, how the hell can anybody offer an opinion on it?

political analyst

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584049#Comment_120584049

That is a distinct possibility.

eggy81

Did the guard follow him down the wrong side of motorway. If not it’s impossible to see how any charge can be brought. The only other alternative was just not bothering to chase criminals at all in a vehicle.

Augme

The statement from the Garda Representative Association was genuinely frightening.

"The news that any member would face the threat of criminal charges for any actions while carrying out their duty for the protection of the public has come as a shock and is extremely concerning for our members."

The inly shocking snd concerning thing is that the the GRA and the Gards think they should be always be immune from prosecution for any action a garda takes while on duty. A bizarre attitude to have, and given the extremely dodgy standards within the Garda that is even more worrying.

Overheal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584038#Comment_120584038

The DPP is independent. So how can it not have a choice?

Do Police in Ireland have Qualified Immunity to break the law? If so, what are the constraints?

How could the garda have committed a crime if it was the getaway driver's course of action that let to deaths of that driver and his accomplices? So how could there be a realistic prospect of conviction? That is where funding comes into the equation.

How could you jump to conclusions without any of the facts or having read an indictment to the same? So how could there be a realistic prospect you know exactly what will be charged or what the jury would find? You answered your own speculation though that matches mine, reckless endangerment likely, a cop who for example, flies through a quiet neighborhood (a busy highway here, another scene with risks for driving dangerously) to maintain a high speed chase even when conditions for a high speed chase are reckless to innocent bystanders (in this case oncoming traffic). It sounds like the cop/everyone involved is lucky that the truck driver survived a head on collision, not without injury I imagine.

From GRA

The news that any member would face the threat of criminal charges for any actions while carrying out their duty for the protection of the public has come as a shock and is extremely concerning for our members.

"However, as we do no know the details or context of any possible charges, it would be inappropriate to comment any further at this time except to say that the association will be providing any assistance and supports we can to our colleague at this time."

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/0511/1383022-garda-court-tallaght-deaths/

Hedging statement to say the least. Does the truck driver, a member of the public, feel like they were protected?

political analyst

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584001#Comment_120584001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120584016#Comment_120584016

The DPP is independent. So how can it not have a choice? The English case that I cited ended with acquittal. So I don't envisage a jury in this country, which is also a common-law jurisdiction, convicting the garda in this case.

It is reported that the garda will be charged with either reckless endangerment or dangerous driving causing death.

[Deleted User]

Putting aside the actions and backgrounds of the scumbags that were killed if the DPP believes that the Garda acted in a way that was illegal then they should prosecute. It's that simple.

Overheal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058296090/is-the-dpp-acting-in-the-public-interest

How is the problem of DPP funding linked to you disliking the prosecutions they take up?

It sounds like you'd like them to prosecute the 3 robbers as well - I'm sure they would have preferred to? But you cannot prosecute corpses. Reports don't even say what he's being charged with yet.

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/n7-crash-dublin-rathcoole-victims-24489922

Allinall

If the DPP is of the view that an offence has been committed, and thinks there is sufficient evidence to secure a conviction, then they don't really have a choice.

It's literally what they are tasked with.