One prisoner has been on remand for five or more years, and a dozen are waiting at least two years
One prisoner in Ireland has been on remand and awaiting trial for five or more years, and a dozen are waiting at least two.
The cases are “unacceptable” says a reform group.
There are around 5,000 prisoners in Ireland across 12 facilities.
However, 12 prisoners have been left waiting for a trial for at least two years.
Responding to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said the figure does not include people serving a sentence and who also have a remand or trial warrant that will become active once the sentence expires.
The data breaks down as follows:
Irish Penal Reform Trust director Saoirse Brady said delays in the system “serve no one’s interests”, including “the individual charged with an offence, the victim, their families, or society as a whole”.
She said: “While we understand that the courts are under pressure to process a high number of cases, no one should have to spend years in prison awaiting a trial date when they have not been found guilty of an offence or sentenced by a court.”
The “unacceptable delays” were clearly impinging on the prisoner’s “rights to liberty and a fair trial”, Ms Brady added.
Overuse of pre-trial detention [remand] can undermine the presumption of innocence, as well as having a severe psychological impact on the person detained, often leading to self-harm.
“For anyone found not guilty when they do eventually come to trial, they will have lost a substantial amount of time to prison, which in itself is a traumatic experience and this will, no doubt, have untold consequences for their family relationships, their employment prospects, and their overall wellbeing.”
Almost 20% of the prison population are held in pre-trial detention, something which the Irish Penal Reform Trust say should cast doubt on how well the system is functioning.
Ms Brady said: “This all serves to undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system, so court delays must be addressed as a matter of urgency.”