It follows a recent pronouncement from the Court of Appeal which suggested that anyone who wants to give a testimonial should be available for cross-examination.
One of the guiding principles of sentencing is that a judge must look at the offender as well as the offence.Caracter references are often used to try and give the judge a better insight into who the person in the dock is. It’s not known what weight, if any, a judge gives to them – but ordinarily they’re received by the court with no questions asked and are rarely read out in open court.
Recently, the Court of Appeal issued a dictum suggesting that anyone who wants to provide a testimonial should be in court for cross-examination. Before he sentenced a Sligo man today for abusing three children between 1983 and 1993, Mr Justice Brian Keane refused to accept three character references unless those who wrote them were willing to come to court and take the stand.The man, who can’t be identified to protect the identities of the children, was jailed for eleven years.
Judge Martin Nolan should take note.
Rapists and Child Abusors have Zero Credibility.
Good. Should be done for these cases!!
No pass all judge Nolans cases to this man.
Good move
Character references should be absolutely inadmissible ESPECIALLY in sexual offences. We were all good little boys and girls at some point and we can convince some dope to say so. But if you raped someone, you raped someone. End of.
How a character reference for a paedophile is even a thing is beyond me and any normal person. Anyone who provides a reference for a fucking paedophile should be forced to turn in their hard drive too.
Judges are the backbone of Democracy in the great little Country.
Convicts...not heard that word too much lately ?
Good
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Source: IrishTimes - 🏆 3. / 98 Read more »