88 / 424
GAZETTE
L A W B R I E F
M
EDIWH
MARCH1995
Dr. Eamonn G. Hall, Solicitor
The Government and the
Legal System
The Government, composed of Fine
Gael, Labour Party and Democratic
Left, in its policy agreement
A
Government of Renewal
December
(1994) have pledged reform of many
aspects of the legal system.
• A Commission on the management
of the courts is to be established as
an independent and permanent
body, with financial and
management autonomy.
• Measures to tackle the backlog of
cases to be heard in all courts will be
prepared in the context of the
Courts
and Courts Officers Bill, 1994.
• A National Bureau of Fraud
Investigation is to be established
with a professional staff to
investigate allegations of serious
corporate or organisational fraud,
prosecute where necessary, report
fully to the public, in an appropriate
way, its findings and actions, with
its Director appearing from time to
time before relevant Dáil
Committees.
• A fundamental reform of the Courts
system from District to Supreme
Court is to be undertaken.
• The Criminal Justice Code is to be
modernised to take account of new
methods of information gathering,
judicial skills, use of video and
audio equipment etc.
• A charter for the victims of crime
which will include an immediate
review of the Criminal Injuries
Compensation system is to be
prepared together with the
establishment of a "Restitution Fund"
to which offenders would contribute.
• An all-party Committee of the
Oireachtas is to begin work in
January 1996 to review the
Constitution.
• A consumer Bill of Rights will be
prepared to guarantee standards of
service from semi-State companies.
• Consideration will be given to
strengthening the Competition
Authority by giving it enforcement
powers and by enabling the courts
to impose stiff fines on those
engaged in unfair competition.
• The office of Attorney General is to
be a full-time position.
• The feasibility of splitting the two
roles of the Attorney-General - that
of legal adviser to the Government
and Ministers, and of upholding the
public interest in the courts of
' justice - is to be examined.
• Freedom of Information legislation
is to be enacted in 1995 to cover
both central Government and the
broad public sector.
• An Administrative Procedures Act
is to be enacted which will vest in
• The report of the "high-level"
group carrying out the examination
of the Attorney General's Office
is to be published without
delay. This report has been
published.
• Measures will be introduced to
improve the efficiency of the
legislative process, including
additional drafting resources in
Government Departments and the
Attorney General's Office and legal
work is to be contracted out where
appropriate and feasible.
the Office of the Ombudsman
monitoring and regulating
functions including requirements
on the form in which decisions are
communicated dealing with
the basis of the decision, the right of
appeal, the right of access to the
relevant information on the
case and the right of a citizen
to confer with officers making
the decision concerning
that citizen.
This is an ambitious programme: some
lawyers will be busy!
64