Results 9,941-9,960 of 18,761 for speaker:Michael McDowell
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: As soon as may be. If a consensus emerges, I will try to give effect to the consensus position on this question of teenage consensual activity and every other issue we have not been able to deal with in this legislation.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: The DPP has very wide discretion. I asked him whether a provision taking into account age, which was analogous to taking into account the interests of the child, would be a good or bad idea. His view was that his discretion should be left untouched by legislative measures. If we start legislating for how discretion is exercised, it will end up becoming the subject of judicial review, which is...
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: The DPP can lay alternative counts and there is a provision for alternative verdicts. Somebody should not be able to escape liability by saying he thought a girl was 15 when he was accused of having sex with her on the basis that she was 14. It can easily be remedied by the DPP putting two counts against the accused in a live case. Under the 1924 Act, where a trial is ongoing or has started,...
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: I got into trouble recently when I accepted on the hoof an amendment to another Bill.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: The issue is adequately dealt with by alternatives.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: The amendment is accepted.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: The law states a girl cannot say to her parents that she is not committing an offence by having sex.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: Does Deputy Enright want to criminalise them for the first time?
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: The girl commits no offence at the moment.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: Deputy Enright wants to make it an offence.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: That relates to an incest offence.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: It is a separate offence.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: That is not so.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: Rubbish.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: Nonsense.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: I thank the Members of the House who contributed to this debate and made some very useful points. I would like to say, a preliminary remark, that I have noted on two occasions that some Deputies in this House think it is okay to shout me down, to interrupt my speech and to spend minutes barracking me and shouting and roaring at me. I refer to the debate on the Bill introducing the citizenship...
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: It is not acceptable that that should happen in a democratic Assembly. I contrast my treatment in this House with the treatment of Deputy Kenny, who was allowed to make a reflective speech without interruption from this side of the House. He was able to make his speech in circumstances of dignity, even though some of us on this side disagreed radically with some of the things he was saying. I...
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: I would like to consider a point that was made by Deputy Howlin. I am sorry if I was short with him in the course of his speech. Having been told that I was nothing short of a disgrace and having been barracked for a long timeââ
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: I accept that. Nobody who is in the House at present behaved in such a manner, although I note that Deputy Stagg has sneaked into the House â I will allow him to stay under the radar this time. Deputy Howlin suggested that I am wrong on the issue of a 15 year old boy who engages in consensual acts which amount to gross indecency with an adult, but we have been checking the issue. As far as...
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Michael McDowell: I have checked it through the Attorney General's office. I cannot find any statutory provision that states a 15 and a half year old boy cannot consent. Deputy Howlin may be able to find it and if he draws my attention to it I will concede he is right.