Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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I have one question. Obviously there was an increased police presence on the streets of the United Kingdom. I am directing this question at Lord Sumption because Dr. Buquicchio had to leave. Inevitably there was an increased police presence on the streets in the UK, as there was in Ireland. We have a very unusual feature in our law which enables the Garda Commissioner to bring matters of interest, which are not defined, to the attention of the Minister for Justice and Equality. There was a recent controversy where a minor road traffic violation by a former European Commissioner was brought to the attention of the aforementioned Minister and put into the public domain. Would it be typical across Europe or across the common law world for a minor road traffic violation, such as holding a mobile phone while driving, to be brought to a Minister's attention by the head of a police force and put into the public domain for apparently political ends?