Irish Council for Civil Liberties 🏳️‍🌈

thejournal.ieMinister ordering removal of consent ad risks having ‘chilling effect’ on society, rights group saysThe Irish Council for Civil Liberties said the move also raises questions “about government or ministerial interference in the work of civil society”.

The Minister for Justice’s intervention with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s consent campaign video on hugging risks creating “a pervasive chilling effect and self-censorship” within society. www.thejournal.ie/consent-hugg...

iccl.ieJustice Minister’s interference with Dublin Rape Crisis Centre consent campaign unsettlingRisk of chilling effect and self-censorship within civil society as pressure placed on DRCC to remove video five weeks after it was first posted.

The Justice Minister interfering with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre consent campaign "because it does not represent the views of the Government" is unsettling. Interference like this risks creating a chilling effect and self-censorship within wider civil society. www.iccl.ie/news/justice...

Episodes like this risk creating a pervasive chilling effect and self-censorship within civil society, a risk we outlined in our report. They also raise serious questions about government or ministerial interference in the work of civil society.

Community, voluntary and non-profit organisations form a critical part of the democratic and service delivery landscape in Ireland. They have essential frontline experience and knowledge, and they must be able to speak, educate and campaign independently.

iccl.ieCommunity and voluntary organisations afraid to criticise the State for fear of financial implications - Irish Council for Civil LibertiesNew ICCL research report details infringements of civil society’s rights of public participation, freedom of association and freedom of expression.

This worrying sequence of events speaks directly to a report published by ICCL two years ago which highlighted that State funding can create pressure on civil society organisations to limit their advocacy and campaigning. www.iccl.ie/news/thats-n...

The Council of Europe Venice Commission guidelines on the Right to Freedom of Association (the screengrab below is from our report) outline the State’s obligations to organisations in receipt of State funding.

The Minister posted a statement from his account on X yesterday, where there had been considerable criticism of the video (though it had been online for five weeks). In his statement, he took credit for the removal, saying it was “removed by DRCC following my official’s engagement with them”.

irishexaminer.comIrish Examiner view: State access to encrypted messages a slippery slopeStrong groundswell of opposition to legislation proposed by justice minister

"Allowing untrammelled access to messages as proposed by the minister is surely a mistake [...] such a step brings us further along a slippery slope to the complete absence of privacy, however one understands that term in the 21st century." - Irish Examiner www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/ourv...

@bhconsulting.bsky.social

We brought our Global Encryption Day message to Leinster House today: Tell Jim O'Callaghan & Brussels to scrap their plans to break encryption & protect our privacy & security online. @cdt.org @cdteu.org @nujofficial.bsky.social @nwc.bsky.social @digitalrightsirl.bsky.social @brianhonan.bsky.social

Irish Council for Civil Liberties 🏳️‍🌈 reposted

BH Consulting

New polling for #GlobalEncryptionDay: 93% of Irish people say they have a right to private conversations online. As our CEO @brianhonan.bsky.social puts it, there’s “no such thing as a backdoor that only the good guys can use.” www.iccl.ie/news/new-pol...

iccl.ieNew poll: Irish public rejects State breaking of encryptionThe Irish public believes they have the right to private conversations online. A majority says the government should not have the power to access encrypted messages.

The first Irish opinion poll on encryption is clear: - 93% say we have a right to private online conversations - 66% say government should not get power to access encrypted messages It comes as Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan plans new Garda interception powers - including for encrypted messages.

“But in addition to that, the right to privacy is universal, not just something that concerns journalists. We only have to look at international news headlines on any given day to see how private information can be abused by malicious actors.” @faduda.eurosky.social @nujofficial.bsky.social

Read the story in full on our website 👇 www.iccl.ie/news/new-pol...

"There is no such thing as a backdoor that only the good guys can use. Weakening encryption in the name of fighting crime risks making the internet less secure for us all." @brianhonan.bsky.social

“The right to protect sources & confidential information is enshrined in EU law, in Article 10 of the ECHR guaranteeing freedom of expression & as outlined in cases like Goodwin v UK, which was supported by the NUJ, reflecting our longstanding commitment to source protection." @faduda.eurosky.social

There are "multiple cases of gardaí & Garda employees abusing the PULSE database – to sell personal information to criminals, to stalk women, & to snoop on celebrities – & there’s every reason to believe that this power could be abused in the same way.” @tjmcintyre.com @digitalrightsirl.bsky.social

"The choice is very simple, we can have strong encryption that protects everyone online, even though criminals will abuse it, or weak encryption that leaves everyone vulnerable to criminals and hostile actors." @brianhonan.bsky.social

The Minister proposes these powers "on the premise they are necessary, but the public doesn’t buy it. Instead, what we see in Ireland is the same we've seen in polls around the world: people understand that undermining encryption threatens their privacy, and they don't like it.” Tom Bowman @cdt.org

“Not only does the public understand the value of privacy & security, they see the dangers inherent in removing it. They are clearly telling us they will change their behaviours & self-censor if the gov follows through on Minister O’Callaghan’s promise & breaks encryption.” @olgacronin.bsky.social

Privacy isn’t only about private chats, it also affects how we communicate. On Garda access: - 79% worry about the impact on freedom of expression - 68% say they'd become more cautious about what they comment on, like or share - 72% say it could make it more difficult for journalists to communicate

The message today - on Global Encryption Day - is clear: The Irish public, across all political party affiliations, value their privacy. Jim O'Callaghan needs to drop his plans to give gardaí the power to break encryption and read our private messages.

This would include WhatsApp and Signal, used by millions of people in Ireland including journalists, gardaí and politicians. But: - 86% fear weakening encryption could make personal information more vulnerable to hackers/criminals - 86% worry about potential misuse of power by An Garda Síochána

irishexaminer.comIrish public has ‘clear distrust’ of proposals to allow State access private messagesIn Irish Council for Civil Liberties survey, fewer than 20% of respondents said they would trust law enforcement to use a power to access encrypted messages without users’ knowledge

Today we launch a new @cdt.org poll which finds that the Irish public has “significant and clear distrust” of the State accessing private phone messages. This comes as Minister Jim O'Callaghan plans to give gardai powers to intercept encrypted communications. www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41...

iccl.ieJustice Minister must meet his responsibilities for all victims of crime and accused personsMonths of deadlock must end: Minister must engage in urgent, meaningful talks with solicitors and vindicate the justice rights of all.

The Minister for Justice must meet his responsibilities for all victims of crime and accused persons. We need a lasting resolution to months of disruption in the courts which have significantly impacted the rights of victims of crime and accused persons. www.iccl.ie/news/justice...

They were confused about the right to not self-incriminate themselves. There was inadequate consideration of their personal circumstances. Without effective legal assistance, they simply could not understand or meaningfully participate in their hearings.

In our statement today, we share some of the details from some of these cases. They show why criminal legal aid is essential in a functioning and rights-respecting criminal justice system. www.iccl.ie/news/justice...

The judgement brings us back to the fundamental question: how legal aid and fair procedures vindicate the rights of people accused of crime. The cases reflect the reality of criminal proceedings, where issues and people’s circumstances can be complex.

In her ruling, Ms Justice Gearty found a compelling pattern. People without legal representation were being given no advance notice of the objections to their bail. They were given no meaningful opportunity to challenge Garda evidence against them. They were unable to present their own case.

Legal aid is essential in a fair, humane and efficient criminal justice system. It is primarily the State’s responsibility to ensure the right to a fair trial is fulfilled. It is important now that the Minister aims to de-escalate and resolve the dispute, to vindicate the justice rights of all.

A July High Court judgement by Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty concerns people who successfully brought Constitutional challenges to their detention after they were refused bail in the District Court when they had no legal representation due to the strikes.

We note the understandable anger among solicitors after the Minister accused them of deliberately targeting rape cases in their dispute. Such comments risk further embedding a serious impasse, when what is urgently required is constructive engagement and a resolution.

A bill to deal with the legacy of the Troubles is being discussed in the UK House of Commons today and tomorrow, forming one piece of the jigsaw in addressing the legacy of the conflict. The other piece is Ireland’s parallel legislation, the Legacy of the Troubles Bill 2026.

And here Ms Leader reiterates the point that there is simply no independent oversight of when and how the State decides to withhold information from the Commission.

iccl.ieTroubles legacy bill under fire from human rights organisations and legal expertsOireachtas Committee is warned that ageing victims, survivors and families have dwindling time as organisations criticise the plans over national security veto, government control of information discl...

For a summary of our concerns, as well as our written submission and opening statement to the Oireachtas Justice Committee, see our website 👇 www.iccl.ie/news/trouble...

ICCL’s @emilywilliams19.bsky.social explains why the overarching issue in Ireland is that we do not have an Historical Investigations Unit and reiterated ICCL’s call for one to be set up.

Here Kathleen Leader SC, for the Bar Council, told the Committee that the reasons to refuse to assist - other than the national security veto - are “very broad” and could allow for “a lot of information not to go forward” from the State to the Legacy Commission.

ICCL's Executive Director Joe O’Brien highlighted how the Bill’s “bespoke mechanism” for cooperating with the UK Legacy Commission mirrors the model in the Omagh Inquiry which has been criticised by victims and the inquiry’s legal team.

Asked about his understanding of how a national security veto can be wielded, @cajni.bsky.social’s Daniel Holder says it is used “relentlessly” to restrict the disclosure of information in the North.

Daniel Holder, Executive Director of @cajni.bsky.social, also called on the Committee to find out why the Irish State is reaching for the “nuclear option” of having a national security veto.

Alan Brecknell @finucanecentre.bsky.social also warned of the need for trust and confidence in a truth-seeking mechanism. He called on the Committee to consider the ages of victims, survivors and their families, in these cases.

The vague, ill-defined grounds for refusal include the State's “sovereignty, security or other essential interests”, possible prejudice to criminal investigations or proceedings, and the relevant State body's functions. There is no independent oversight when the State opts to withhold information.

Here, Alan Brecknell of @finucanecentre.bsky.social, told the Committee of his experience of how a national security veto used in separate proceedings has led to families in the North being denied access to the truth. He warned that Ireland should not make the same mistake.

The Bill would allow the UK Legacy Commission to request help from Ireland but Irish authorities - with a minister - would retain control over which questions are answered, who answers them, or whether some or all questions are refused.

Agreed questions would then be put to Irish authorities before a High Court judge in Dublin, with the answers passed to the UK Commission.

At a Justice Committee hearing about the Irish Bill, ICCL and other human rights groups warned that the law could leave victims and families facing secrecy and delay. Key decisions about what information is disclosed are placed in the hands of the Executive, without adequate independent oversight.