“It’s important…we ensure that it is just this very narrow window of time and that these powers are dispensed with as quickly as possible.”
As we enter into a Bank Holiday weekend like no other, the Gardaí have been given powers to enforce government guidelines on the restriction of movement and social distancing.
These are possibly the most restrictive measures ever introduced in peace-time Ireland since the foundation of the state. But what exactly do these restrictions mean for people’s rights?
Liam Herrick of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties spoke to us about the need for Gardaí to continue in the same vein of community policing as we have seen in recent weeks, how if the powers are used they must be monitored and recorded correctly and the concerns around the effects of policing by coercion rather than cooperation.
You can watch the video in full below.
"We hope it does not set a precedent for similar operations into the future."@ICCLtweet have voiced a number of concerns about new powers available to Gardaí to restrict people's movements.@LiamHerrick spoke to us about the approach needed from the Guards this weekend. pic.twitter.com/x0wg6xOLwV
— JOE.ie (@JOEdotie) April 9, 2020
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