Tag Archives: law

With apologies to my friend Bev, I have to take over the column again this week to tell you how I spent my weekend. I was lamped into the shower early so I knew something was up but then I went to Pat, my lovely dog minder. I haven’t stayed there much since Covid began so it was nice to have a proper catch-up as I was in residence for two nights. I love a little change of scenery. On Sunday, I was collected bright and early and after a quick dogguccino, we headed off in the car. When we arrived in Limerick, I was hoping we’d be going to The Buttery, where dogs are always welcome, although I was puzzled, as we usually go on a Saturday. What a sight met me! Dogs everywhere, inside and out. It turns out that this was a Doggie Brunch in aid of Limerick Animal Welfare. What a lovely idea, although I noticed …

Clare Champion journalist Carol Byrne has again been acknowledged for her outstanding work in the field of legal reportage and features. At the annual Justice Media Awards event, held in Dublin on Thursday (June 22), Carol received her fifth Justice Media accolade for her story on how law researchers at the University of Limerick worked with the late Judge Michael Reilly, Ireland’s first inspector of prisons, on a report recommending the creation of a database to record deaths in Irish prisons. The judging panel awarded a certificate of merit in the regional print category to the Ennis resident for her article entitled ‘Breaking new ground in prison law: the late Judge Michael Reilly’. The graduates’ work with the late Judge Michael Reilly, was compiled in a report which was presented to Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald last year. The Justice Media Awards recognise outstanding print and broadcast journalism that contributes to the public’s understanding of law and justice, the legal system, or specific …

A proposal to introduce a database that would record details of those who have died in Irish prisons has resulted from research conducted last year by ten University of Limerick law students, among them Cratloe woman Róisín Cahill. Now graduates, the group worked closely with Judge Michael Reilly, Ireland’s inspector of prisons, to compile the report, which is to be issued to Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald. At an event hosted by the School of Law in UL, Judge Reilly, the country’s first and only inspector of prisons, released the report, which highlighted the importance of having a system to record and learn from deaths that occur in prisons. He said Ireland is only now getting to grips with prison law, highlighting that it is only since January 2008, when the Prisons Act 2007 was enacted, that his independent judicial appointment was made to oversee prisons. To date there has been no system to accurately record prison deaths …