The Crime Thread

Sham157 wrote: Protecting the general public is now populist? This is a go to phrase used against anyone who dare question the status quo.

Absolutism about 'law and oder' is populist, and parties regularly like to hang their hat on being 'tough on crime'. Fine Gael have been at it for some time. At the far end of the extreme you have elected judges in American campaigning on 'tougher sentences' etc, which means that justice is at the whim of the populace. Populism is a thing, it is not a dirty word, and it is not an attempt at silencing dissenting view. But it is understanding that issues might not be best determined subject to populist whim. A prime example being the 2004-2007 decision to cut taxes and ramp up spending. Inherently that benefits all people, but how that was implemented left us with a huge structural deficit. 

Sham157 wrote: There has been, there is and will be people held in Cloverhill who go on to be vindicated. What do they do? Again, liberty should only be restricted where the most serious of charges are brought and/orvwhere there is a clear history of offending.

I see your limitations, but I disagree that awaiting trial for a serious offence should mean the automatic refusal of bail, and that has a number of reasons. Some relate to fundamental rights, and others go to public policy. Equally, recidivism and bad character does not necessarily mean that you should be held on some sort of preventative basis. In fact, bad character evidence at trial, while admissible, is highly limited.

Sham157 wrote: I do think, notwithstanding the thread title that this is going off the topic as it currently stands. We can go around in circles disagreeing all day long.

Fair enough. 

I was in college in Galway at the time and it really shook the city. It was horrific and shamefully it was the first time it became really apparent to me how different life was for my mates who are women.