They look to the case of Eugene Holland, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted late last year of marijuana possession. No further evidence was presented to support the claim, allowed because Irish law holds that judges, unlike juries, will not be prejudiced by the introduction of irrelevant facts. In one instance, however, police tactics backfired. In 1996, police tipped off the media about a raid on the offices of a well-known Dublin legal firm representing a suspect in the Guerin case. Public outcry over the police behavior never materialized.
Most people welcome the new police powers.
A recent poll found that 70 percent of those surveyed think the level of crime in Ireland has fallen, which it has. HE now sees little to prevent the Irish justice minister from proceeding with plans to reduce the right to silence for accused criminals. Such a stance will be taken as an indication of guilt in all court trials. George Maybury of the police representative body AGSI supports the plan. We offer them for your additional research.