Republican News · Thursday 26 June 2003

SF calls for repeal of Offences Against the State Acts

Putting forward a countermotion to block the extension of emergency legislation for another year, Sinn Féin has accused the Minister for Justice of having "utterly failed" to demonstrate that the operation of the legislation is necessary for the security of the people of the State.

The Sinn Féin motion reminds the members of the Dáil that following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement the government was committed to "further strengthen the protection of human rights" and to "initiate a widespread review of the

Offences Against the States Acts 1938-1985". This was to be done with "a view to both reform and dispensing with those elements no longer required". However, as the motion points out, the government since the Good Friday Agreement has not only failed to reform the emergency legislation as required, it has instead done the exact opposite by expanding emergency powers.

The countermotion says not only that the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 should not continue in operation and instead be "allowed to lapse", but calls for the wholesale repeal of entire apparatus of emergency legislation (The Offences Against the State Acts 1939-1998).

Speaking in advance of the Dáil debate on the motions, Sinn Féin spokesperson for Justice and Equality Aengus Ó Snodaigh said:

"The government has failed to lives up to its commitments under the Good Friday Agreement in relation to the strengthening and protecting of human rights. Instead of reforming or repealing the Offences Against the State Act this right-wing PD-led Coalition has expanded emergency powers, which have had a seriously corrosive effect on human rights, civil liberties and democratic life in this state."