THE proposed amendment to the bail laws will prove ineffective" and "dangerous in its consequences" if passed, according to a group of Labour Party barristers and solicitors.
Despite support for the amendment from the parliamentary party, the 70 member Labour Party Lawyers Group said the Minister for Just ice had not "produced any evidence to suggest that the amendment would reduce crime levels".
The group, in a statement, said Mrs Owen had reneged on her commitment to publish detailed draft legislation in advance of the referendum, which meant voters could "not be sure of the legal consequences of a Yes vote".
The group said the suggested definition of a "serious" offence contained in the "outline" legislation was confused and would lead to more complex, lengthy and expensive bail hearings than at present. A spokesman said the proposals were "populist" and would "force vulnerable people to make statements which were not true".
The Government's proposals would significantly reduce the civil liberties of citizens but not "touch the drug barons who dominate the country's cities", the Workers' Party has said. A statement urging a No vote in the forthcoming referendum said there was confusion as to what "constituted a serious offence".
The party said it "applauds" the comments of Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Dr Eamonn Walsh, on the referendum proposals and said he "articulates the genuine fears of many people as to the consequences for society of this ill thought out change to fundamental liberties".
The National Party has said the bail proposals are a "smokescreen to cover up years of inaction by successive governments in tackling crime". The party said the changes would not have an impact on crimes such as "burglary, car stealing, handbag snatching and vandalism" which "affect everybody's lifestyle".
The proposals have been described as "preventative internment" by the Socialist Workers' Party. It said they would "criminalise" people addicted to heroin, alcohol and other "substances".