If you could change one law...

flogen · 12-05-2005 02:46PM #1

What would it be and why? There's plenty wrong with this country so given the chance what would you fix?

For the purpose of avoiding the obvious crap, the decriminalisation or legalisation of drugs isn't an option, so what else?

You can also include changes in legislation, for example if you'd like larger minimum sentences for murderers or something.

hardCopy · 12-05-2005 02:50PM

Give people the right to defend themselves/family/property by force

Tobias Greeshman · 12-05-2005 02:51PM

Yeah Id like the longer minimum sentences for criminals, I mean look at the US, rob a newsaggents and your put away for a serious long stint, almost comparable to manslaughter sentences here. The law is way too lenient in this country, with criminals getting out on good behavour after a few years. Well thats what I'd like to see changed anyway.

xzanti · 12-05-2005 02:53PM

Stamp duty on second hand houses... More of a government greed thing than a law but there ya go...

toiletduck · 12-05-2005 02:54PM

much, much longer sentences for criminals

Le Rack · 12-05-2005 02:56PM

the age at which the cops can do something about junior scumbags - i was nearly killed yesterday cuz a thirteen year old threw a rock at the back of my head! the cops cant do anything cuz he's so young!

toiletduck · 12-05-2005 03:00PM

Le Rack wrote:

the age at which the cops can do something about junior scumbags - i was nearly killed yesterday cuz a thirteen year old threw a rock at the back of my head! the cops cant do anything cuz he's so young!

you should pay a fourteen year old to beat him up!

Saruman · 12-05-2005 03:02PM

xzanti wrote:

Stamp duty on second hand houses... More of a government greed thing than a law but there ya go...

Umm your too late.. thats gone.. well up to a point... expensive houses are still liable but first time buyers can buy without paying.. i know i am taking advantage of that right now!

Anyway i would change the law about alcohol licencing.
You know the way only licenced pubs/hotels etc can serve alcohol and its very hard to get a licence.
In europe you can go into any cafe and have a drink.. hell you can even get wine and beer off street vendors.

Why? Not to make our drinking culture full of more alcoholics.. In fact I believe the opposite is true. If people could drink in almost any cafe etc then there would not be hundreds of people going to pubs and getting pissed and then at closing fall around the streets causing trouble. It would be more relaxed the way it is in Europe.

Le Rack · 12-05-2005 03:02PM

Im under 18 I'll do it myself! the little sh!t was even threatening mine and my mams life!

Dublin8 · 12-05-2005 03:05PM

Give permanent residence status to all the Forign students studying here

fullfilling they have

>clear character
>they are educated
>they have been working and have been benifical to state
>who can be a benifit to this country
>plan to settle here
>have irish friends

coz i fullfill all these requirement and dont have the residency to live here permanently

:mad:

Elfish · 12-05-2005 03:05PM

That whatever a cop says goes. Maybe that it takes more than just one guard's word - i.e. that spoken word alone is not enough, if a guard's word or opinion is the sole evidence, then it shouldn't be accepted without corroboration. Some guardai abuse the power that they are given, and are full of it. In matters that are more serious than just giving someone on the street a smack.

So I'd change the way a single guard's word is taken as fact. In the hands of the wrong people, too much power is not a good thing.

stagolee · 12-05-2005 03:06PM

everyone is saying longer sentences for criminals, but id be a bit more specific. any politician or member of the justice system found by a specialy commissioned and independant body to be corrupt, to be abusing their position of power or to be criminaly negligable or incompetant should face a mandatory jail term.
it would be a way to rid our government of the fat bastards that sit there handing each other brown envelopes safe in the knowledge that the absolute worst that can happen to them is that they will be shunted from the trough and have to go and find a real job.

EDIT:and id tack on a by law to the effect of what saruman said, he's right you know

windowgazer · 12-05-2005 03:46PM

4... I'm being greedy:

1. I'd remove marriage laws that prevent same sex couples marrying as I believe all couples who love each other should have the same rights.

2. I'd change licencing laws so that alcohol can be available like all other consumer products; if people are treated more like adults they'll be have more like adults.

3. I'd change the law that people on provisionals can't drive outside lessons (after a revamp of the testing system of course). It's dangerous for other people on the road and drives insurance premiums up.

4. I'd make a law so that parents and teachers who hit children are prosecuted; violence only breeds violence.

Garibaldi · 12-05-2005 03:50PM

End the holiday home prison (granted, it's not somewhere I'd like to holiday, but ye know what I mean) situation. Get the prisoners to do a little forced labour such as road maintenance, cleaning the streets (including national primary routes, scenic routes and motorways), getting rid of graffiti. In fact, get them to do some of the basic labour involved in road construction too. Basically, get them to actually contribute something to society.
Oh, and no, no, no to increased alcohol availability. No-one in this bloody country, between the ages of (at least) 16 and 30, can control themselves with drink as it is. These things work in Europe because they don't see being pissed all the time as a sign of manhood.

jor el · 12-05-2005 04:17PM

If someone attacks you then you should be able to attack back. Currently, the law allows for self defence, which doesn't give you the right to go on the offensive. As far as I'm concerned, if someone decides to attack you then they give up their right to be protected by the law and as such you should be allowed to fight back as much as you feel like.

jamieh · 12-05-2005 04:21PM

I'd change the level of Vechicle Registration Tax. The difference in price between cars in Ireland and cars everywhere else is unreal, this is mainly because the government have slapped on a huge level of VRT on cars! I think Denmark is the only other country in the EU that does the same thing!!

Glipmac · 12-05-2005 04:28PM

It should be legal to kill someone NOBODY likes you know who i mean that one guy/girl that is just there and wont go away

trust me on this one if you haven't met them you will...

p.s you cant kill me for i am Immortal

jezza · 12-05-2005 04:29PM

Le Rack wrote:

Im under 18 I'll do it myself! the little sh!t was even threatening mine and my mams life!

i got split with a rock once, in 2nd year.
lets just say she never hit me again.

Le Rack · 12-05-2005 04:32PM

yeah well I'm a girl and this was a young lad. I tell ya his balls wont be getting a chance to drop!

jezza · 12-05-2005 04:42PM

Le Rack wrote:

yeah well I'm a girl and this was a young lad. I tell ya his balls wont be getting a chance to drop!

seriously dont let the little nacker get away with it!

Nimrod's Son · 12-05-2005 05:03PM

Introduce capital punishment! Perhaps the setting up of some sort of Ironic Punishment Division. That would make good TV viewing.

BossArky · 12-05-2005 05:10PM

I would turn it on and off like the way you could do in Quake... so then you could jump and fly around abit... save a bit of enery and shoe leather... and then turn it back on again when you are sick of floating around. :cool:

Scarinae · 12-05-2005 07:26PM

I'd make sentences way stricter for rapists and paedophiles. I'd do my best to get rid of all the little technicalities that let people off - I'm thinking of Judge Curtin and Liam Keane here. I'd also allow same-sex marriages to be state-recognised - I wouldn't try forcing it on the churches, since it is against their beliefs, but I would give same-sex married couples the same rights as heterosexual married couples

cil_aine · 12-05-2005 07:42PM

more leniancy on abortions. im not talking abortions for all of course, and it may sound harsh i know, but we're so backward in ireland. the x-case was a disgrace it should never happen again. also, same-sex marriges to be recognised by the state. theres so many fúcked up laws in this country its hard to know where to begin. oh and not forgetting tougher sentences on rapists and paedophiles. Generallly a tougher stance on petty and nuisnce crime like the girl earlier said, people shouldnt have to have the fear of walking down the street without having a brick thrown at your head. The right to defend your home and family (although not US style)

b3t4 · 12-05-2005 07:52PM

Saruman wrote:

Anyway i would change the law about alcohol licencing.
You know the way only licenced pubs/hotels etc can serve alcohol and its very hard to get a licence.
In europe you can go into any cafe and have a drink.. hell you can even get wine and beer off street vendors.

I thought this had been implemented recently. As in the serving of alcohol in cafes is to be allowed.

A.

Kappar · 12-05-2005 10:39PM

This is a good question.

1. Codify all our laws. Perhaps even change over to a civil law system
2. Repeal the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994
3. Make a much better mechanism for Police complaints.
4. Incorporate the European Convention of Human Rights into the Constitution as opposed to legislation.
5. Overhaul the crime of conspiracy (you can be convinced of conspiracy to commit an unlawful act not necessarily a crime)
6. And a lot lot more….

Kappar · 12-05-2005 10:43PM

"I'd do my best to get rid of all the little technicalities that let people off - I'm thinking of Judge Curtin "

In fairness as much as we all are sick with it in his particular case I am glad that this "little technicalitie" exists.

smileygal · 12-05-2005 11:10PM

Hard labour and toilet cleaning for all the u-18 gurriers getting away Scot-free from petty to horrific crime.

A nice bit of rock breaking in the cold and rain to the tune of the Crazy Frog ad to start with

funk-you · 13-05-2005 12:15AM

Introduce a 'reason' law....eg:when a law is passed a small caption should be placed underneath as a guide to why the law is in place in the first place. could stop technicallities getting in the way and also stop you being arrested for a ridiculous reason.

rugbug86 · 13-05-2005 01:12AM

1) Alcohol Licensing - change it to the european system/english system where ya can drink beer when you're 16.
2) Abortion - pro choice, women should have the option (after suitable assessment, can't just do it on a lunch break)
3) Car lessons a mandatory class in school. Yes, I said car, not just driving. Learn how to drive AND take care of the car. Might lower insurance.
4) Mandatory community service to be given to everyone who is given jail time, should be reflected by the time they'll have to spend in jail.
5) Make all building contracts so that the contracters get paid €X for doing the road no matter how long it takes, even if it finishes 2 years early, they still get the same amount of money. Just an incentive to finish earlier.

I do have more, will post them as I remember!

Saruman · 14-05-2005 11:55AM

Garibaldi wrote:

Oh, and no, no, no to increased alcohol availability. No-one in this bloody country, between the ages of (at least) 16 and 30, can control themselves with drink as it is. These things work in Europe because they don't see being pissed all the time as a sign of manhood.

Excuse me?? No-One you say??? thats a mighty big claim! Its also utter crap.

Fact is like i said we are so restricted into where we get our alcohol from that we have to condense our drinking into a short space of time. This is what causes "SOME" people note i say Some because most people can control themselves. I know i can. I know plenty of people who can, i know people who dont even drink. I was one of them for a long time.

So this IS a good idea and im not the only one to agree it seems.

Although i dont think it should be reduced to 16. 18 is good enough i think. Although maybe it should be legal for someone to drink that young with parental supervision only. But not on their own. That one will work in other EU countries because there is usually more for them to do than drink.

@rugbug86
All good points except the first one.

If you could change one law...

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