Cases of suspects detained by gardai could be examined randomly to determine whether people are treated fairly and lawful procedures are followed, according to Supt Patrick Murphy, who is to head a Garda working group dealing with the protection of human rights.
Detainees and gardai would be interviewed as part of a programme entitled "Human Rights Initiative 1999-2000", Supt Murphy said yesterday, when the establishment of the working group was announced.
A sample of cases from Garda stations would be examined so that "best practice" could be achieved. Supt Murphy explained that this was one of several proposed new measures which the working group intended to introduce.
The announcement that detention cases are to be subjected to examination was welcomed by Mr Donncha O'Connell, director of the Irish Council of Civil Liberties. However, he added: "Garda policies and processes should be assessed by an independent agency and the results should be published."
The Garda working group hopes to produce a new code of ethics for members as part of a programme to promote awareness of human rights throughout European police forces.
The working group will accept submissions from within Garda ranks and also from interested people outside the force, such as academics and voluntary organisations, according to Supt Murphy.
Addressing the press conference in Dublin at which the new working group was announced, the Deputy Garda Commissioner, Mr Noel Conroy, said that the concept of human rights was not new to gardai, but represented "the essence of everything we stand for".
Inculcating a culture of human rights into the heart of policing organisations was "the greatest global challenge faced by police managers", according to Ms Mary O'Rawe, lecturer in law at the University of Ulster, who attended the press conference.
Ms O'Rawe said that while the concept of human rights was theoretically at the core of all policing organisations, it had proved difficult to put into practice.
Asylum-seekers and refugees in the Republic are among those who require protection of their human rights, according to Mr Ned Lawton, policy officer of the Irish Refugee Council. While he was not aware of any particular problems between gardai and asylum-seekers, he welcomed their recognition as part of Ireland's growing multicultural society.
Supt Patrick Murphy, who is based at the Garda College in Templemore, can be contacted by e-mail at gquality@IOL.ie The other five members of the working group are: Sgt Mary Keane, Sgt Sarah Meyler and Garda Michael Byrne, of the Garda College, Templemore; Sgt Mary Aldridge, Rathfarnham station, Dublin; and Sgt David McInerney, Irishtown station, Dublin.