The Minister of State for Law Reform, Youth Justice and Immigration, James Browne TD, has welcomed the passage through the Houses of the Oireachtas of a Bill that provides for preliminary trial hearings in criminal trials – a first in Irish law. The Criminal Procedure Bill completed its final stages in the Seanad today. This legislation is an important step in the overall implementation of “Supporting a Victims Journey”, Minister McEntee’s plan to support victims of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence.
Minister Browne said,”“This is the first time preliminary trial hearings will be provided for in Irish law. They have the potential to bring huge improvements and efficiencies to our criminal justice system – real progression that will be felt by all parties including victims, juries and defendants.“
This legislation is being introduced following recommendations from a number of reports in recent years, including those on reforming how we tackle white collar crime and corruption and on increasing protections for vulnerable witnesses in sexual offence cases. The reforms introduced in this Bill will be of particular benefit to victims in criminal proceedings.