Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

Perhaps they could be displayed at the Fine Gael Ard-Fheis rather than the extensive reviews and sentencing promises of Deputy Kenny.

As I mentioned earlier, the steering committee, in reviewing sentencing systems, worldwide identified those of Scotland and New South Wales as the most relevant to our situation. In this regard, New South Wales has a judicial commission whose major function is to assist the courts in achieving consistency in approach in the sentencing of offenders.

Over the years, the courts have developed a substantial body of case law setting out general principles of sentencing. Statute law provides that any sentence of imprisonment for an offence committed while on bail should be ordered to run consecutively to any previous sentence. The courts are in the best position to see just what is the proper sentence in a particular case.

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