The Gazette 1990

GAZETTE

PRIL

1 9 9 0

effect a crime has on its victim, not

just the elderly or infirm or very

young, but on all victims. The

evidence for this is now over-

whelming. Yet they are frequently

the forgotten participant in the

system. The Garda Siochana, let it

be said, have been quietly com-

passionate to victims long before it

became fashionable. Perhaps this is

because they are truly a people's

police force or simply because they

are, in my experience, an organi-

sation of very decent men and

women. More recently the

Association for Victim Support is

doing tremendous work within the

limits of their numerical strength

and financial resources. But

decency on the part of the gardai

or dedication by voluntary workers

are not enough. We need to

structure our concern for the

victim. This need not involve any

diminution in impartiality or

objectivity on the part of the

prosecution. It is mainly a question

of communication, of involving the

victim more in the criminal process,

of informing him or her of the

progress of the case, even perhaps

of canvassing his or her views

before a particular plea is accepted

from an accused. I am currently

studying ways and means in which

this would be achieved as a matter

of course in every case, and hope,

through the co-operation of the

gardai, the prosecutorial service

and other interested parties that it

will become a reality shortly.

There is nothing very new or

revolutionary about this. The victim

was an important participant under

the Brehon Code, as is the

Partie

Civile

today in France. It seems to

me that if our law and procedure

provided, in a formal and structured

way, for the payment of com-

pensation by a transgressor in

addition to or substitution for any

penalty which society, through the

courts, required to be imposed, it

would go a long way towards

assuaging the victim's trauma and

sense of alienation, and might well

have a powerful deterrent effect on

offenders as well.

•

PARI S

Sole practitioner seeks a newly qualified Solicitor to join a

young expanding international practice with emphasis on trade

and joint ventures in the South East Asia Region.

Minimum requirements in order of precedence:

- sense of humour

- sound academic qualifications

- good basic knowledge of French (at least

A" level or

equivalent)

- ability to work in an international environment

- some experience in company and commercial areas during

training

Salary negotiable according to experience but will be roughly

equivalent to West End London rates.

Interviews will be held in Dublin.

Write with full C.V. and two references to:

Tony Khindria, 18, Avenue de la Bonrdonnais 75007 Paris.

A S S O C I A T I ON I NTERNAT I ONALE D E S

J E UN ES AVOCATS

AIJA

Annual Regional Conference

for the

United Kingdom and Éire

6 - 8 JULY, 1990

Venue:

Corpus Christ! College, Cambridge

Conference Fee: STCE125.00

(including accommodation)

We hope that this Conference will be very well supported from Ireland,

as this is a terrific weekend.

For further details contact ANNE M. NEARY, Solicitor. Tel: 975755.

(See page 193 for details of AIJA Barcelona Congress)

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