DROP ALL COVID PROSECUTIONS

 » TD, civil liberty group and lawyer say cases now unjust  » Amnesty would free courts and let gardai fight real crime

-  DANNY DE VAAL and FERGHAL BLANEY

POLITICIANS, lawyers and civil liberties campaigners have called for all pending Covid prosecutions to be dropped. 

It follows the Irish Mirror’s revelation that there have been more than 13,000 prosecutions under the Health Act with 400 cases a month winding their way through the courts.

Most of the those before a judge for Covid crimes are otherwise lawabiding citizens but the implications of a conviction are far reaching.

Anyone found guilty of offences such as not wearing a face mask or breaking the 2.5km travel curfew during the pandemic could be banned from entry to the USA or denied citizenship of this country.

Doireann Ansbro, of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties said: “We campaigned against criminal penalties for breaches of lockdown from the start of the pandemic.

ENFORCE

“Using the criminal justice system to enforce health policies is inappropriate and a l l pro se cut ions should be dropped at this stage.