Consultation Paper on Prosecution Appeals from District Court

The Law Reform Commssion has published a Consultation Paper on appeals from the District Court, available on its website at www.lawreform.ie

Submissions are invited up to 30 November 2004.

A brief extract from the LRC website:

Appeal Procedure Should be Introduced

The Commission recommends that a procedure should be introduced into Irish law for appealing against unduly lenient sentences imposed in the District Court. In coming to this conclusion, the Commission considers that the most persuasive argument is that it is in the public interest that offenders should be sentenced appropriately in relation to the crime that they have committed, and that a procedure should be in place for rectifying any inordinately undue leniency in the sentencing outcome. The Commission is also of the opinion that it is in the public interest that any real or perceived inconsistency (failure to apply appropriate sentencing principles), rather than disparity (appropriate different sentencing outcomes, taking account of different circumstances), in sentencing practices in the District Court be remedied by way of appeal.