The Gazette 1976

GAZETTE

b e t w e en the Irish a nd British G o v e r n m e n ts of D e c e m-

ber, 1973, set out in

Boland

An Taoiseach,

(1974)

I.R. 343, is also relevant. Bv that clause it w a s a g r e ed

that persons c o mm i t t i ng c r i mes of v i o l e n c e, h o w e v er

mo t i v a t e d, w o u ld be b r o u g ht to trial, u resjM'ctn e ot the

part of Ireland m w h i ch tliev w e re located. As a result

ol tins clause, a L aw E n f o r c e m e nt C o mm i s s i on c o n-

sisting of 4 British a nd 4 Irish r e p r e s e n t a t i v es w as

e s t a b l i s h ed w h i ch e v e n t u a l lv issued a Rejxirt. Wh i le

the British f a v o u r ed e x t r a d i t i on as the principle to he

a p p l i e d, the Irish s u g g e s t i on of t he principle of e x t r a-

territorialitv e mb o d i ed

in tins Bill, w as

u l t i ma t e ly

a g r e e d.

IV Section II Conflicts with Article 40(3) of the

Constitution

T h e provisions of S.l 1 of the C r i m i n al Justice Bill are:-

( 1) It is c o n t e n d ed that on a c c u s ed c a n o n ly be

present at the t a k i ng of e v i d e n ce on c omm i s s i on in

N o r t h e rn Ireland 1>\ s u bm i t t i ng to u n d u ly harsh a nd

u n r e a s o n a b le c o n d i t i o n s. It is c o n t e n d ed that, 1>\ c o m-

pelling the a c c u s ed to be in c u s t o dy wh i le he is in

N o r t h e rn Ireland, the a c c u s ed has to l e a ve the security

of the State. Art. 3 8 ( 1 ) , w h i ch states that no person

shall be tried on a c r i m i n al c h a r ge save in d ue c o u r se

of law, requires just t r e a t me nt for the person c h a r g ed

w i th the special right of the S t a te to p r o s e c u t e, a nd

to ensure that the a c c u s ed will stand trial. " D u e C o u r se

of l aw" s h o u ld me r e ly represent a fair b a l a n ce b e t w e en

the e x e r c i se o f i n d i v i d u al f r e e d om, a nd the r e q u i r eme n ts

of an o r d e r ed society.

T h e a c c u s ed has an u n d o u b t ed right to be present

at a nd t h r o u g h o ut his trial, w h i ch will n o rma l ly be

held in the S p e c i al C r i m i n al C o u r t. Wh a t is at issue

is his right to be present for the t a k i ng for the p u r p o s es

of the trial of the e v i d e n ce of w i t n e s s es in N o r t h e rn

Ireland.

T h is

involve* the travelling to

N o r t h e rn

Ireland of m e mb e rs of the Special C r i m i n al C o u r t,

a nd the t a k i ng there of the e v i d e n c e, in their p r e s e n ce

b e f o re a N o r t h e rn Ireland N i gh Co u rt J u d g e. Ob v i o u s ly

if, as a result of l e a v i ng the jurisdiction, the a c c u s ed

is not in c u s t o dy in .Northern I r e l a n d, there is a d a n g er

that he m a v not return to stand his trial: a n d, wh i le

in c u s t o dy there, the a c c u s ed is a c c o r d ed an i mm u n i ty

f r om d e t e n t i on in respect of a nv p r e v i o us o f f e n ce in

lie N o r t h. If the a c c u s ed d o es not w i sh to he present,

he c an he

represented

bv a solicitor a nd c o u n s e l. It

is to lie n o t ed t h a t, wh i le

* is in c u s t o d y, the a c c u s ed

is p l a c ed u n d er the p r o t e c t i on of the R o y al

U l s t er

C o n s t a b u l a r y. A c c o r d i n g ly this p r o v i s i on is n ot re-

p u g n a nt to Article 4 0 ( 3) of the C o n s t i t u t i o n.

( 2) It w a s also c o n t e n d ed that if the a c c u s ed w as

in c u s t o dy wh i le e v i d e n ce w as t a k en in

N o r t h e rn

Ireland

f r om w i t n e s s es resident t h e re c o n s t i t u t es a

d e p r i v a t i on of his right of access to

lie C o u r ts lor

the p u r p o se of o b t a i n i ng hail. T h e g r a n t i ng of hail is

not a c o n s t i t u t i o n al right, h ut a m e re r e c o g n i t i on In-

die C o u rt t h at a p e r s on p r e s um ed i n n o c e nt shall not

h a ve his liberty u n n e c e s s a r i ly interfered w i th p e n d i ng

his criminal trial. In

People (A.-G.) v. O'Callaghan

( 1 9 6 6 ) I.R. at p. 5 3 3

- Wa l sh J. said t h at f r om

time to t i me necessity d e m a n ds that s ome u n c o n v i c t ed

p e r s o ns shall he in c u s t o dy p e n d i ng trial to secure their

a t t e n d a n ce at the trial, h ut

n e c e s s i ty

is the o p e r a t i ve

test. The a c c u s ed n e ed o n ly go to N o r t h e rn I r e l a nd

at li s o w n request, a nd if the o r d er for arrest is m a d e

o n a w r o n g basis, it c an be set aside by the H i g h C o u r t.

It is c l e ar that the r e q u i r eme nt of c u s t o dy wh i le in

N o r t h e rn I r e l a nd is an a b s o l u te necessity.

( 3) It is c o n t e n d ed t h at tin* a c c u s ed is d e p r i v ed of

rights, i n a s mu ch as it he d o es not elect to he present

in N o r t h e rn Ireland, his c o u n s el or solicitor h a ve no

right to c r o s s - e x am i ne witnesses. T h is c o n t e n t i on is

u n s u s t a i n a b l e, as the o p p o r t u n i ty to c r o s s - e x am i ne a nv

w . t n e ss is l u n d a m e n t al to a trial in d u e course of law,

a nd this right is u n d o u b t e d ly also a v a i l a b le in N o r t h e rn

I reland

( 4) S . l l d o es not p r o v i de that a s t a t eme nt of evi-

d e n ce i n t e n d ed to be g i v en bv the N o r t h e rn w i t n e ss shall

be g i v en to the a c c u s ed b e f o re such e v i d e n c e. Bv v i r t ue

ol the Special C r i m i n al C o u rt Ru l es 1976 the a c c u s ed

is entitled to a s t a t eme nt of the e v i d e n ce of e a ch w i t n e ss

w h o m it is p r o p o s ed to call. T h e C o u rt is satisfied that

S . l l must be i n t e r p r e t ed as m a k i ng a person, w h o se

e v i d e n ce is to be t a k en on c omm i s s i on on N o r t h e rn

Ireland, a witness w h o m it is p r o p o s ed to call. In the

m a k i n g ol an o r d er tor the t a k i ng of e v i d e n c e, the

S p e c i al C r i m i n al C o u rt has to c o n s i d er the interests of

justice, w h i ch w o u ld require a full a nd a d e q u a te dis-

closure ol the n a t u re of

he e v i d e n ce b e i ng g i v en

b e f o r e h a nd to the a c c u s e d. T h i s s u bm i s s i on fails.

( 5) A l t h o u gh it w a s c o n t e n d ed that a s t a t e m e nt of

e v i d e n ce m a d e in N o r t h e rn Ireland m i g ht not he an

a c c u r a te transcript, the Co u rt is satisfied that a state-

m e n t ol e v i d e n ce c o r r e c t ly certified by a N o r t h e rn

Ireland H i gh C o u rt J u d ge to be a true a nd a c c u r a te

s t a t eme nt of the e v i d e n ce so taken satisfies the require-

me n ts of justice.

ill) It w as c o n t e n d ed that S . l l did not e x t e nd to

e v i d e n ce ol o p i n i on

Irom experts.

A c c o r d i n g ly

a c c u s ed on trial here w h o w i s h ed to h a ve the e v i d e n ce

ol an e x p e rt t a k en in N o r t h e rn Ireland as part of his

d e l e n ee w o u ld a l l e g e d ly he h a m p e r ed in his d e f e n c e,

l'his s u bm i s s i on is u n s u s t a i n a b l e.

( 7) It w a s c o n t e n d ed that S . l l onlv p r o v i d ed for the

transmission ol the a c t u al s t a t e m e nt of e v i d e n c e, a n d

did not m e n t i on exhibits. T h i s Co u rt d o es not regard

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