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GAZETTE
N E W S
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1996
Crusading Solicitor
given Key Job in Crime War
L-r: Mr. Ruairi Quinn, TD, Minister for Finance; Chief Supt. Fachtna Murphy, Head of the Criminal
Assets Bureau; Barry Calvin, Solicitor, Legal Officer, Criminal Assets Bureau; Garda Commissioner
Pat Byrne; and Mrs. Nora Owen, TD, Minister for Justice.
There is a touch of The Untouchables'
about 'crimebuster'
Barry Galvin
as
recent newspaper profiles in both Ireland
and the UK have suggested. The
outspoken State Solicitor for Cork has
been given a key role in the fight against
major crime.
The Government has appointed him the
Legal Officer of the new Criminal Assets
Bureau which is being established by
legislation. Introducing the legislation in
the Dáil, the Minister for Finance
Ruairi
Quinn,
TD, said that Barry Galvin would
be responsible for providing legal
expertise to the Bureau. In addition, the
Minister continued, it is envisaged that
the Legal Officer will "participate fully in
the work of the Bureau in formulating
strategies, not just to ensure that the
criminal assets are successfully tracked
and targetted but, equally importantly, to
process matters for prosecution by the
Director of Public Prosecutions so that
legal action to deprive the persons in
question of the criminal assets, or deny
them the benefit of these assets, will
produce the results desired".
Barry Galvin has come to national
prominence in recent years as a fearless
critic of inadequate Government policies
on tackling drug trafficking. As State
Solicitor for Cork with the responsibility
of preparing prosecutions of those
apprehended in illegally importing drugs
through the many potential landing sites
on the West Cork coastline, Mr. Galvin
publicly criticised on many occasions the
lack of resources available to fight this
criminal activity.
Speaking at an International Bar
Association meeting of criminal lawyers
in Dublin earlier this year, he witheringly
described the case of the "Keystone
Customs" whereby West Cork-based
customs officers commandeered a boat to
assist them to shadow a suspected drug
smuggling yacht but when their boat
proved unseaworthy they had to be
rescued by the vessel which they had
intended to keep under surveillance!
Barry Galvin's direct and flamboyant
style of advocacy, when applied to the
politics of the solicitor's profession, had
enabled him to top the poll year after year
in the annual election to the Law Society
Council until his retirement from the
Council last November. Never afraid to
stand up and argue for an unpopular
cause if he believed in it, Mr. Galvin was
a tireless worker and major contributor to
the Law Society Council and its
Committees. It is thought that one of the
reasons he gave up the Law Society was
to devote even more of his energies to his
campaign for increased official action to
combat crime and lawlessness.
The ability and, indeed, the very real
courage with which he has pursued this
crusade have been admirable.
Recognition has come first with his recent
appointment to the new Commission
which will review the Garda Síochána
and now with his appointment as Legal
Officer to the Criminal Assets Bureau.
The Bureau will comprise Garda,
Revenue and Social Welfare officials
working as a team in pursuit of criminal
assets and the identification, seizure or
taxation of those assets as appropriate.
Speaking in the Dáil, the Minister for
Finance said of the Bill to establish the.
Criminal Assets Bureau that, "For too
long, many ordinary people, whose
families or community were ravaged by
the havoc caused by drug abuse,
perceived that known or suspected
criminals enjoyed a lifestyle which was
not based upon any real job or business.
They appear to be untouchable. This Bill
will end that. All assets of crime will be
capable of confiscation, if they can be
proven to be connected, directly or
indirectly, to criminal activity".
If given the resources Barry Galvin will
certainly do the job.
•
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