If we are all equal in the eyes of the law...

UglyBolloxFace

...then why is a longer sentence given for the killing/murder of police officers?

John Doe1

Cause they represent the state and you are basically targeting a person and the state i think

Jesus Wept

Even if they are off duty, it is the same I think? Or is that incorrect?
Actually, that can't be right, right?

chin_grin

Why, what are you planning OP!

mikom

The-Rigger wrote: »

Even if they are off duty, it is the same I think? Or is that incorrect?
Actually, that can't be right, right?

Depends if they are wearing their hat I think............

Fishooks12

Where in irish criminal law does it say this again?!

Jesus Wept

mikom wrote: »

Depends if they are wearing their hat I think............

Legally if you need to do a dump, they must give you their hat. :cool:

cosmicfart

bloody public servants again, it because of the Croke Park agreement. if u kill a cop up until 2014 u will get 50 years extra in jail and will have to pay the widow of the cop, his ma, his dog and also anyone else he ever knew 100 euros per week from ur dole until ur boke and the whole fooking country is broke

Brendog

If we are all equal in the eyes of the law ...... Then why is Sean Quinn not in jail?

strobe

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

...then why is a longer sentence given for the killing/murder of police officers?

I don't think it is man. The sentence for murder in Ireland is a 'mandatory life sentence' whether it is a member of the Gardai murdered or not...

44leto

The more money you have the more equal you are.

Mint Sauce

The-Rigger wrote: »

Even if they are off duty, it is the same I think? Or is that incorrect?
Actually, that can't be right, right?

A Guard is never off duty.

okedoke

There used to be a death sentence (theroetically until the 1960's I think - but not used for a long time) for "capital murder" (killing a Garda). As a previous poster said you are not only killing a person you are attacking the state (and the people who are tasked with maintaining order). Now though you just get life for any murder - but when you get out depends on the Minister for Justice.

El Weirdo

okedoke wrote: »

There used to be a death sentence (theroetically until the 1960's I think - but not used for a long time) for "capital murder" (killing a Garda).

It was actually a lot later than the 60s.

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Ireland#Commuted_death_sentences

RichieC

We are not all equal in the eyes of the law and far from it.

Money is the great equaliser.

Chuck Stone

Justice is blind.

No wait..

who the fug

okedoke wrote: »

There used to be a death sentence (theroetically until the 1960's I think - but not used for a long time) for "capital murder" (killing a Garda). As a previous poster said you are not only killing a person you are attacking the state (and the people who are tasked with maintaining order). Now though you just get life for any murder - but when you get out depends on the Minister for Justice.

Death sentance was abolished in 1990, but they came close to using it in the seventies

Del2005

El Weirdo wrote: »

It was actually a lot later than the 60s.

Wasn't it part of the 1st Nice treaty referendum.

The one when not enough people voted so they had to have a 2nd one, but not for the referendums which gave our glorious leaders the results they wanted.

texidub

Not money alone. Money AND connections. I would say the EDIT: former latter is probably even more important when it comes to skipping justice, but it's debatable.

Don't forget: All serviced and maintained by an obedient, cap-tipping electorate. So the responsibility for injustice is pretty evenly spread.

You can't just hand justice over to the authorities and then forget about it as though the problem has been solved.

(Not unless you have money and connections, that is.)

Faing

Life, on the whole, is a 5h1t sandwich.

The more bread ye have, the less 5h1t ye get............

Mr. Presentable

If we are all equal, how come I get arrested for pitching my tent in Merrion Sq. but a dozen malcontents can pitch tents on the roadside in Dame st and nothing is done?

bijapos

Del2005 wrote: »

Wasn't it part of the 1st Nice treaty referendum.

The one when not enough people voted so they had to have a 2nd one, but not for the referendums which gave our glorious leaders the results they wanted.

Enough people voted, just not enough people voted the way the politicians wanted us to vote. So they told us to vote again.

There is no minimum amount of people required to vote in an election or referendum here.

naoise80

Brendog wrote: »

If we are all equal in the eyes of the law ...... Then why is Sean Quinn not in jail?

What law did he break?

Guill

The Garda are on the front line every day, and obviously come into more contact with criminals as us regular Joes, (well exceptions made for AHers) So as an extra level of protection for the gards it has to be seen as more serious to kill a Gaurd as opposed to me or you. Can't see what is unfair about that, it just means our force are ever so slightly saver doing their jobs.

sensibleken

youre looking at it all wrong. Gardaí are much harder to kill because they have stab vests and trunceons. So if you manage to kill one you 'win' a longer sentence as a reward.

Ellis Dee

We are all equal in the sight of the law. But that is theory, not necessarily practice.:rolleyes:

It's even worse than some of you think, because not only are there tougher penalties for crimes against members of the Garda than for crimes of which ordinary citizens are the victims, on the rare occasions when a Garda is convicted of a crime, especially a violent one, the penalty is usually a lot softer than an ordinary scumbag is likely to get.:mad:

Sometimes you couldn't make it up. I remember one recent case where a judge suspended a sentence that clearly should have been a custodial one because - no kidding! - a Garda would find it hard to do prison time.:D

hondasam

We are not all equal,rich get richer, poor get poorer and FF fcuked up the country.

okedoke

El Weirdo wrote: »

It was actually a lot later than the 60s.

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Ireland#Commuted_death_sentences

I stand corrected

44leto

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Justice is blind.

No wait..

It is it is an institution for the blind.

But they can smell money.

Captain Chaos

Brendog wrote: »

If we are all equal in the eyes of the law ...... Then why is Sean Quinn not in jail?

This is Ireland, we don't send the rich to jail. Jail is for the poor who won't pay their bin charges.

Captain Chaos

naoise80 wrote: »

What law did he break?

Defrauding the state and robbing tax payer's money.

44leto

Captain Chaos wrote: »

This is Ireland, we don't send the rich to jail. Jail is for the poor who won't pay their bin charges.

And rightly so, the bastards,,

But I think you are right it seems to be more about deterrent and control then actual justice.

orourkeda

Brendog wrote: »

If we are all equal in the eyes of the law ...... Then why is Sean Quinn not in jail?

I'm missing something here but what's illegal about bankrupting yourself? What crime should he be in prison for and wheres the evidence to support your case.

Wetai

okedoke wrote: »

Now though you just get life for any murder - but when you get out depends on the Minister for Justice.

This is another thing I don't get (along with the OPs question) - why are they called Life Sentences, when either a) you can get out for behaviour or whatever, b) you can get multiple ones ("3 consecutive life sentences"). Wouldn't it make sense that a life sentence means you don't get out (generally speaking; in theory) at all.

Ellis Dee wrote: »

Sometimes you couldn't make it up. I remember one recent case where a judge suspended a sentence that clearly should have been a custodial one because - no kidding! - a Garda would find it hard to do prison time.

There is some merit in that, though. A guard, or people who commit especially bad crimes (in the eyes of society - e.g. being in posession of Child Porn, pedophilia, etc - the ones that some people in prison get praised (:rolleyes:) for attacking people who commit these crimes in prison) would have a much greater risks for their lives than yer man that stole stuff (or some lesser/minor crime that'd get prison time). In some prisons, such as the US, they'd be put in an area where they're on their own, away from the main population, and much less likely to be killed/stabbed/etc.

MagicSean

Ellis Dee wrote: »

We are all equal in the sight of the law. But that is theory, not necessarily practice.:rolleyes:

It's even worse than some of you think, because not only are there tougher penalties for crimes against members of the Garda than for crimes of which ordinary citizens are the victims, on the rare occasions when a Garda is convicted of a crime, especially a violent one, the penalty is usually a lot softer than an ordinary scumbag is likely to get.:mad:

Sometimes you couldn't make it up. I remember one recent case where a judge suspended a sentence that clearly should have been a custodial one because - no kidding! - a Garda would find it hard to do prison time.:D

I'm sure if the scumbag had spent the majority of his adult life helping people he would also get a light sentence.