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GAZETTE
JULY 1996
The last available figures on
sentencing for drug-related offences,
those of 1993, make interesting
reading, in his view.
While he believes that the Law
Society is now forward looking,
O'Donoghue is critical of the
decision not to exempt law
undergraduates from the
requirement to take the
Blackhall Place entrance
exam.
"We had 71 cases before the courts.
The average sentence was less than
two years. This is extremely low. If
they (the judges) will not hand down
the sentences, then we must have
minimum sentencing. Admittedly,
there are recent indications that the
sentences are increasing in length.
This is to be welcomed."
O'Donoghue believes that society as a
whole must accept responsibility for
the way in which the drugs problem
was allowed to get out of control.
"The problem was ignored while it
was confined to Dublin's inner city. It
was only when it became a middle
class problem that society sat up", he
suggests.
In his view, the consumption of drugs
should be made a criminal offence
along with their possession. This
would allow for the real addicts to be
taken off the street and placed in a
new network of treatment centres
where they would be detoxified over a
six month period.
The drugs scourge would have to be
tackled in an interdepartmental
fashion with health and educational
agencies also involved.
"There is in place a stay safe
programme in the primary schools to
combat child abuse. Is it not as
important that children also be
educated at this stage about the danger
of drugs?"
O'Donoghue has kept up his contact
with legal practice. His wife runs the
firm and his brother is also in business
in nearby Killorglin. He likes to keep
his hand in. His high profile would
obviously be of help to him should he
wish to return to full-time practice,
he believes.
While he believes that the Law
Society is now forward looking,
O'Donoghue is critical of the decision
not to exempt law undergraduates
from the requirement to take the
Blackhall Place entrance exam.
Students entered their course on the
understanding that the exemption
would apply, after all. He also
believes that much remains to be done
to ensure that practitioners continue to
get a decent living.
"Much of the work of the
profession is being plundered
by other professions. As a
result there is a great need for
diversification, particularly in
the training of young
solicitors.
"Much of the work of the profession
is being plundered by other
professions. As a result there is a great
need for diversification, particularly
in the training of young solicitors.
Traditional areas such as
conveyancing, probate and criminal
law will no longer sustain people on
their own."
* Kyran FitzGerald is a solicitor,
journalist, writer and researcher.
News from the Criminal Law Commi ttee
Criminal law practitioners should
note that a major international
conference on forensic science will
be held in Dublin in September next.
The conference is organised by the
Forensic Science Laboratory and
events will include a visit to the
Laboratory itself.
The venue is the Regency Hotel,
Dublin and the following papers will
be presented:
Changes in Drug Abuse in Ireland
- Dr. M. John Fox
Advances in Criminal Investigations
- Chief Superintendent
T. Hickey
Scientific Examinations at Crime
Scenes - The Israeli Approach
- Dr. Joseph Almog
Advances in PCR in DNA Analysis
- Dr. P. Gill
Statistical Approach to Evidence
Interpretation
- Dr. I. Evett
Offender Profiling
- Dr. Anne Davies
Forensic Response to a Terrorist
Bombing Campaign - The Northern
Ireland Experience
- Dr. Gerry Murray
21 Years of Irish Homicide
- Professor J. Harbison
O.J. Simpson Trial, aMedia and
Scientific Odyssey
- Dr. Richard Saferstein
The papers will be delivered on
Thursday 26 September 1996 and the
visit to the Laboratory will be on
Friday 27 September.
Further information and registration
forms can be obtained from
Dr.
Geraldine O 'Donnell,
Forensic Science
Laboratory, Garda Headquarters,
Phoenix Park, Dublin 8.
The cost of the full Conference is
£100, excluding accommodation. •
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