Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 21 September 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality

General Scheme of the Garda Síochána (Digital Recording) Bill 2021: Discussion

Photo of Lynn RuaneLynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Sunderland. I would like to go back to the Garda representatives for a moment. Reference was made to the protection of gardaí with regard to body-worn cameras. Obviously, violence of any nature should not be condoned but, as they say, the camera does not lie. When a body camera is turned on, however, it could give a perception of an event that may not be accurate. When a garda is in control of deciding at what moment a camera or a body-worn camera is turned on, it can give an alternative view of an event where there may have been provocation on behalf of the gardaí, or where there may have been a scuffle or something that we are not seeing. How do we account for this when we are looking at the evidence? Do the Garda representatives see this as being permissible, whereby a body-worn camera may not capture the start of an event to the end, and it may come in at a moment within the event?

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