Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 13 February 2019
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality
Interim Report on Review of Youth Referrals: An Garda Síochána
Mr. Drew Harris:
There is quite a bit I can say about that but I think I should address it in a written response. There has been a lot of negotiation and this is also around arrangements with Forensic Science Ireland and how it provides scientific support to investigations. I would say, on the contrary, that the movement across Europe is that scene investigation, forensic examination of what is retrieved from scenes and the giving of evidence should be the preserve of scientists and those who can give forensic evidence that is independent of the investigation. That is the general direction. This is probably a stepping stone along the way. It is not that it is going to be coming back to us; the general direction in other regimes across Europe is the opposite.
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