The Garda News, the publication of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, has criticised as "inappropriate" and "a disservice" comments on the right to silence by the Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Dr Eamonn Walsh. An editorial in this month's edition accuses Dr Walsh of spoiling a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of An Garda Siochana, held in St Patrick's Cathedral last month, by making a "highly individualistic intervention" on the right to silence.
Dr Walsh told the congregation, largely members and guests of the Garda, that "the more we, as a public, stand away from co-operation and responsibility with the forces of law and order, the more likely we are to have demands for more severe laws. This, in turn, can lead to the temptation to dilute our strong and hard-earned basic human rights such as the right to remain silent."
Dr Walsh went on to say that "bartering such rights for short-term gain could easily lead us down the slippery slope of shortcut justice, a path that can rapidly undermine public confidence and eventually co-operation". He also expressed concern about the use of terms like "zero tolerance", outside the drug context, saying they made him nervous.
But Dr Walsh also praised the vision and sacrifice of the Garda and said they had earned the respect of the public over the 75year history of the force.
The editorial criticised the bishop for his comments on the right to silence and zero tolerance, claiming he had done a disservice to "himself, his church, the Garda Siochana and the criminal justice system of this country". It described the remarks as the "wrong views at the wrong time" and stated that Dr Walsh would have been "better advised" to pray for his listeners.
A spokesman for the archdiocese welcomed the article on the grounds that the bishop's intention had been to start a debate on "these important issues" but he denied that Dr Walsh's comments were inappropriate, arguing that the bishop was speaking on an issue of social justice.
"Resourcing is a key issue," said the spokesman. "The question for us as a society is: do we go the route of better resourcing or the route of the reduction of civil liberties by, for example, taking away the right to silence? Our system depends on the fact that the full onus of proof remains with the State. Shifting this is not a trivial matter."
The spokesman concluded that what was at stake in the right to silence debate was the balance between "the culture of investigation and the culture of confession" in Irish society.