MCDOWELL ATTACKS JUDGES OVER 'SOFT' SENTENCES

Justice Minister Michael McDowell and Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy
launched an unprecedented attack on the judiciary yesterday, accusing
some judges of being "soft" on criminals.

The Tanaiste accused judges of ignoring the will of the people and
the Oireachtas by handing down lenient sentences in serious drugs
cases. He was also critical of "soft judges" allowing hardened
criminals out on bail in the face of strong garda objections.
Commissioner Conroy said he supported the views.

Five people have died violently since last Friday, including
apprentice plumber Anthony Campbell, aged 20, who was shot dead in a
Finglas house on Tuesday before gunmen killed their intended target
- -- drug lord Martin "Marlo" Hyland.

Speaking at Templemore College where the first 36 members of the
Garda Reserve graduated, Mr McDowell said that despite the
legislature voting in mandatory minimum 10- year jail sentences for
major drugs offences, in up to 80% of cases judges failed to impose
the minimum term.

"It is not for the Minister for Justice to lecture the judiciary but
it is very clear to me that something is going wrong in the
application of that. I am appealing to them to look again at that law
and come up with a policy which corresponds with the clear
legislative intention.

"Ten years is what people do deserve. The damage these people are
doing is so big that 10 years is in fact the minimum the legislature
says should be imposed in these type of cases, and life is the maximum."

On last night's Late Late Show, Mr McDowell said he would prefer if
special categories of crime, such as serious firearms and drug
trafficking offences, could be referred to a small panel of judges,
which could mean fewer criminals out on bail.

Commissioner Conroy, who was also at Templemore, said it was the
opinion of some gardai that their objections to bail were not treated
seriously enough.

"If the law says certain things, we would hope that's what happens,"
he said.

However, the opposition ridiculed the Tanaiste's attack, claiming he
was passing the buck in relation to his failure to come to grips with
the gangland crisis.

Fine Gael's Jim O'Keeffe said the minister would do better speaking
in private to the judges about sentencing and bail policy rather than
resorting to the megaphone to excoriate them in public.

Labour's Brendan Howlin said Mr McDowell was trying to blame
everybody but himself for failures in dealing with gun gangs.