“We all need to continue to follow public health guidance … But the government must encourage compliance by appealing to our sense of the common good not by threatening us with sticks and sanctions.”
Author Archives: Doireann Ansbro
Doireann Ansbro is the senior research and policy officer with the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. She studied English and history at Trinity College Dublin and law at Nottingham Law School. She has an LLM in human-rights law and was called to the bar of England and Wales in 2009. Prior to working for the ICCL, she worked as a legal adviser to the International Commission of Jurists and a consultant to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Posted inOpinion, Sep 2nd, 2020
Doireann: Will the New Minister for Justice Follow Through on Justice Reform?
Lots of what is promised has been called for by human rights groups for a long time. So will this minister and this government be able to follow through?
Posted inMay 20th, 2020, Opinion
Doireann: What Are the Dangers with the New Garda Powers?
Protecting public health in a time of grave risk is a legitimate aim. But there are also legitimate concerns that current measures go beyond what is needed.
Posted inMar 18th, 2020, Opinion
Doireann: New Charter for Victims of Crime Is Helpful, but Gaps Remain
Until now, the charter hadn’t been updated since 2010, long before the 2018 Victims’ Rights Act came into force.
Posted inJan 29th, 2020, Opinion
Doireann: Who Should Police the Police?
Reform of the Garda-oversight bodies is coming – if the election doesn’t derail it, writes a senior research and policy officer with the Irish Council for Civil Liberties.
Posted inNov 13th, 2019, Opinion
Doireann: These Are Your Rights If You Report a Crime to Gardaí
There needs to be a Victims’ Rights Ombudsman, who can oversee complaints by victims where their rights are not upheld, writes a senior policy officer with ICCL.
Posted inOpinion, Sep 4th, 2019
Doireann: Here’s How the Gardaí Could Tackle Hate Crime Better
Gardaí need to do a better job of taking victims’ reports seriously and gathering data on hate crimes, and they should develop comprehensive rules for responding to such crimes.
Posted inAug 7th, 2019, Opinion
Doireann: Are Body-Worn Cameras for Police Just Another Form of Intrusive State Surveillance?
Having gardaí film interactions with the public presents a host of potential privacy problems. Studies saying it would improve policing are yet to convince.
Posted inJul 10th, 2019, Opinion
Doireann: Keeping an Eye on the Effort to Reform An Garda Síochána
In a monthly column, we’ll be tracking what’s happening with policing reform: what’s still being teased out, what’s being rolled out, what’s working, what’s not.