Eight justice bills set for spring publication
Eight justice bills are among 30 listed for priority publication in the Government’s legislative programme for the coming spring parliamentary session.
A further eight justice bills are among 34 listed for priority drafting in the programme, which the Cabinet approved today (13 January).
The justice list includes the International Protection Bill, which will implement the EU Migration and Asylum Pact in Irish law.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan today received approval to publish the bill, the text of which will be available on the Oireachtas website in the coming days.
The Department of Justice said that the minister and the Attorney General were developing provisions for the inclusion in the bill of proposals to change the rules on family reunification for those receiving international protection that were approved by Government last year.
Dublin Airport
Among the prioritised legislation is a Critical Infrastructure Bill, which includes measures to fast-track essential projects.
Also on the list is the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill, aimed at tackling planning constraints at Dublin Airport.
The justice bills earmarked for publication are:
- Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which includes measures on the digitisation of court documents and criminalises ‘sex for rent’,
- Criminal Justice (International Cooperation) (Amendment) Bill, which will facilitate assistance to Britain’s inquiry into the Omagh bombing,
- Criminal Justice (International Cooperation Office) Bill, which is aimed at fulfilling Ireland’s obligations under the EU’s e-Evidence Regulation,
- Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill to remove guardianship rights from those convicted of killing their partners or a parent of their child,
- National Cyber Security Bill to place the National Cyber Security Centre on a statutory basis,
- Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill to codify police powers of search, arrest, and detention and procedural rights of suspects,
- Certain State Developments Bill to enable a minister to regularise the planning status and/or development works at State sites at which development has taken place under 2000 planning legislation, and
- International Protection Bill.
Civil-law reform
Among the justice bills listed for priority drafting, the programme says that work on the Inspection of Places of Detention Bill is “ongoing”.
Human-rights groups have criticised the Government for delays in the legislation on places of detention.
A bill on civil-law reform, the general scheme of which was published recently, is also included in the list for priority drafting.