Aidan Davitt — 2022-06-29

Defence Forces (Evidence) Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages

FF Aidan Davitt · Industrial and Commercial Panel

Party shown is the one held on 2022-06-29, frozen at parse time — not the speaker's party today.

Summary of this debate

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As for its general application, however, in the context of this section and the application of military law to serious criminal offences, has the Department given any consideration to, for example, application beyond the court martial for people accused? There is a concern, which other Senators have raised in the Chamber, that somebody who is the subject of military law and who may have been accused of quite a serious criminal offence would see that offence downgraded within a code of military justice or a code of military offences.

Does the Bill in any way restrict the ability of the law of the State to deal with such persons who are charged with serious offences?

Built by scoring every sentence in the debate on how distinctive its language is, then quoting the highest-scoring ones back word for word and in the order spoken. Nothing is paraphrased or invented — if a sentence appears here, it was said in the chamber. Drawn from 121 words across 8 contributions by 4 speakers.

Most used terms in this debate

How often each word appears across the whole debate, ranked by how distinctive it is to this debate rather than common to all parliamentary language.

offences 6

military 4

accused 3

justice 4

criminal 3

agreed 4

serious 4

offence 2

code 2

application 3

martial 1

law 3

The full debate

All 8 contributions, start to finish, in the order they were made. The one you came here for is highlighted.

FG Barry Ward

I have raised this as an issue on the Order of Business a number of times. I know there are no amendments to the Bill. As for its general application, however, in the context of this section and the application of military law to serious criminal offences, has the Department given any consideration to, for example, application beyond the court martial for people accused? There is a concern, which other Senators have raised in the Chamber, that somebody who is the subject of military law and who may have been accused of quite a serious criminal offence would see that offence downgraded within a code of military justice or a code of military offences. Does the Bill in any way restrict the ability of the law of the State to deal with such persons who are charged with serious offences? I do not think this comes under any specific section, but has the Department given any consideration as to whether there is any danger that those who are accused of serious offences, particularly sexual offences, may be able to escape full justice in respect of such offences if proven against them? Is there any issue in that regard?

FF Jack Chambers

The position is that the Bill does not endanger the criminal justice system in the way referred to by the Senator and that such people would be subject to full justice, as per the legal position of the State.

CC Mark Daly

When is it proposed to take Report Stage?

FF Aidan Davitt this contribution

Now.

CC Mark Daly

Is that agreed? Agreed.

CC Mark Daly

When is it proposed to take Fifth Stage?

FF Aidan Davitt

Now.

CC Mark Daly

Is that agreed? Agreed.