Irish Council for Civil Liberties regrets Regency Hotel murder being used by 'electioneering politicians'

IRELAND'S independent human rights watchdog has said that respect for human rights must not be turned into a “political football” during the general election campaign.

Commenting specifically on Ireland's international human rights obligation to abolish the Special Criminal Court, the ICCL said that it “noted with regret” that the weekend's appalling attack at the Regency Hotel in Dublin was now being used by some electioneering politicians to buttress their claims that Ireland still needs an emergency court.

ICCL Executive Director Mark Kelly said:

“The Special Criminal Court was an emergency court for a different era.

“On numerous occasions, the UN Human Rights Committee has called for it to be disbanded, as it creates a two-tier system of justice that has no place in a peacetime democracy.

“Politically posturing to appear tough on crime while electioneering is no substitute for respecting the rule of law by pledging to abolish this anachronistic tribunal.”