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Irish Council for Civil Liberties 🏳️‍🌈
@iccl.bsky.social
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The Irish Council for Civil Liberties: Ireland’s oldest independent human rights body. Find out more & sign up for updates: http://iccl.ie
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The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) welcomes the publication today of the Oireachtas Justice Committee’s pre-legislative scrutiny report on the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025.

Swipe to read our full statement 👉
Statement on the Pre-Legislative Scrutiny Report on the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 November 13, 2025 The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) welcomes the publication today of the Oireachtas Justice Committee’s pre-legislative scrutiny report on the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025. This bill covers a range of criminal justice issues, including giving Gardaí powers to ask someone to remove a face covering, the disclosure of counselling records in sexual offence trials, and equipping prison officers with incapacitant spray. ICCL is pleased that the Committee recommended that the proposal to give Gardaí explicit powers to ask someone to remove a face covering if they are acting in an intimidating manner be subject to extensive human rights scrutiny, including how this provision might affect people who wear face coverings for legitimate reasons. The Committee also recommended that the provision’s intended impact be assessed and that it should be established if such powers already exist. We urge the Minister for Justice and the Department of Justice to complete this scrutiny in a timely manner. Gardaí already have expansive powers under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 to address threatening, intimidating or violent behaviour. We believe this proposal is a disproportionate interference with the right to peaceful protest and an unnecessary expansion of Garda powers. In our submission to the Committee, we recommended it be repealed. Wearing a face covering is not in itself violent behaviour, nor does it indicate an intention to engage in violence. ICCL will continue to engage on this bill to protect the right to peaceful protest.
November 13, 2025 at 1:01 PM
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Join us next Tuesday for a panel discussion on freedom of expression, with Dan Lambert, Claire Mc Evoy and Una Mullally!

Kneecapping Dissent: A panel discussion on the crippling of artistic and political expression

🗓️ 14 October, 7.00pm to 8.30pm

📍 Hen's Teeth, Blackpitts, Dublin, D08 A9FD
October 9, 2025 at 11:12 AM
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ICCL condemns the wholly disproportionate use of force by An Garda Síochána at a Dublin protest opposing genocide in Palestine on Saturday, 4 October.
October 7, 2025 at 3:21 PM
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🚨Reminder 🚨

🗓️ Saturday, 4 October
⏰ 12.30pm
📍Garden of Remembrance

@ipsc.bsky.social #FreePalestine #FlotillaUnderAttack 🇵🇸
October 2, 2025 at 4:06 PM
iccl.bsky.social
ICCL welcomes the news that the Central Bank of Ireland will no longer authorise the sale of Israeli State bonds, or "war bonds".
ICCL welcomes the news that the Central Bank of Ireland will no longer authorise the sale of Israeli State bonds, or "war bonds". This marks a significant victory for civil society and is the direct result of sustained, determined campaigning by activists, and groups like the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign. The move by Gary Gannon TD to launch High Court proceedings against the Central Bank also deserves significant recognition. Under the EU Charter of Fundamental Human Rights, the government has an obligation to ensure that the Irish State is not complicit in, and does not facilitate or finance, grave human rights violations, including genocide, occupation and apartheid. While the decision to halt the sale of Israeli bonds is long overdue, it is important to recognise that this is not the result of political will or government action. It is the result of months of protesting, campaigning, relentless pressure and advocacy from protesters, civil society organisations, grassroot movements and trade unions. This moment underscores why the rights of individuals, communities and civil society to challenge the status quo with protest, direct action and advocacy are essential in a democratic society. When the State fails to uphold or defend human rights, individuals must be empowered to hold it to account and demand justice.
September 2, 2025 at 4:57 PM
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The Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee has made a unanimous and unequivocal recommendation that the #OTB be extended to include a ban on trade in services from the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

#PassTheOTB #FreePalestine #GazaGenocide
July 31, 2025 at 4:39 PM
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It is crucial to our democracy that protest is facilitated and that our rights to assemble and express our opinions are protected.

As we witness genocide unfold in Gaza, ICCL calls on the Garda Commissioner, policing oversight bodies and Minister for Justice to ensure that these rights are upheld.
Image is text reading: Press Release: Right to protest, freedom of expression and assembly must be upheld It is crucial to our democracy that protest is facilitated and that our rights to assemble and express our opinions are protected. We are all witnessing a horrific debasing of humanity in Gaza, the likes of which most of us have not experienced in our lifetimes. The genocide and associated crimes being perpetrated in Gaza are abhorrent and many of us feel deeply impacted by them. It is important that we are all granted the space to publicly express our revulsion, and to publicly and peacefully call on government to do everything in its power to stop the genocide in Gaza. Image is text reading: Around the world there is a concerning pattern of increasing restrictions on protest and freedom of expression, in particular relating to pro-Palestinian protest. Here in Ireland, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has been monitoring policing responses to pro-Palestinian protests and speaking to protesters about their experiences with An Garda Síochána. We have also been developing a network of independent legal observers with the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the University of Galway, and network members have been present at recent protests. We will continue to monitor the policing of protest and highlight concerns. We call on the Garda Commissioner, policing oversight bodies and Minister for Justice to ensure that the rights of all people in Ireland to protest peacefully are upheld and respected.
July 25, 2025 at 12:48 PM
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This evening TDs will debate a bill that would remove the right to a jury trial in defamation cases and leave the decision to a judge alone.

ICCL believes that this would be a mistake. We urge TDs to retain jury trials for defamation cases.

Read our full submission:

www.iccl.ie/resources/su...
Image is text which reads: "Defamation A person can only be defamed if their good name is damaged in the eyes of the general public. This is why juries are essential for defamation trials. TDs will today debate a government bill that seeks to remove the right to trial by one's peers in defamation cases and leave the decision to a judge alone. ICCL believes that this would be a mistake. A jury of a person's peers is more likely to better understand what is and isn't defamatory to the person on the street than a judge deciding alone. We urge TDs to reject this proposal and retain jury trials for defamation cases."
July 2, 2025 at 4:03 PM
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Our colleague @olgacronin.bsky.social responds to the new US policy of vetting people's social media accounts as part of its visa application process.
Statement by Olga Cronin (part 1) Statement by Olga Cronin (part 2) Statement by Olga Cronin (part 3) Statement by Olga Cronin (part 4)
June 24, 2025 at 3:59 PM
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This week, ICCL is taking part in the eighth review of the State under the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Together with our civil society colleagues, yesterday we briefed the CEDAW Committee to inform today's dialogue with the State.
Photo of colleagues at the UN in Geneva Photo of ICCL submission to the UN CEDAW Committee
June 20, 2025 at 10:32 AM
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Yesterday’s State apology marked a profoundly significant moment for the family of Shane O'Farrell, who was killed in a hit-and-run in 2011. (1)
May 28, 2025 at 12:42 PM
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ICCL is deeply concerned by the government's plan to criminalise the wearing of face coverings. Read our full statement below⬇️
ICCL is deeply concerned by the government's plan to criminalise the wearing of face coverings. There are many reasons people may wish to cover their face at a protest or in daily life – including for health reasons, for religious reasons, to protect their privacy or to demonstrate political solidarity. Wearing a face covering is not in itself violent behaviour, nor does it indicate an intention to engage in violence. ICCL's position is that a piece of clothing or the act of wearing a piece of clothing should not be criminalised. Gardaí already have significant powers under the Public Order Act to respond to a person acting in a violent or threatening manner, including powers of search and arrest. Existing criminal law is sufficient to address criminal acts at protests. Combined with increased surveillance through body-worn cameras and plans for garda use of facial recognition technology, criminalising face coverings risks creating a chilling effect whereby people feel unable to express their opinions in public spaces. The rights to protest, to privacy and to express ourselves are fundamental rights in any democratic society and should not be eroded.
May 6, 2025 at 11:40 AM
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ICCL, in partnership with the Committee on the Administration of Justice, invites you to our 2nd annual policing conference, “Policing of Far-Right Intimidation in the Republic of Ireland”.

📅 Monday, 19 May
🕓 10am to 5pm
📍 Richmond Event Centre, Dublin 7

Learn more and register ➡️ lnkd.in/e9YtfCP9
Policing of Far-Right Intimidation in the Republic of Ireland Monday, 19 May 10am to 5pm Richmond Event Centre, Dublin 7
April 15, 2025 at 12:21 PM
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ICCL welcomes today’s publication of @inarireland.bsky.social's report on racial profiling and discrimination by An Garda Síochána. Read our full statement below.
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) welcomes today’s publication of the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR)’s report on policing and racial discrimination. Commissioned by the Policing Authority, the new study, entitled “Still Not Heard, Still Not Safe”, reveals that people of African descent and Brazilians in Ireland continue to experience racial profiling and discriminatory policing, and have a deep lack of trust in An Garda Síochána. The findings of this report build on similar findings from previous reports, including a joint report published by ICCL and INAR in 2024, "Policing and Racial Discrimination in Ireland: A Community and Rights Perspective". In recent years, international and regional monitoring bodies, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and civil society organisations have all voiced concerns about the inadequate response to racial profiling in Ireland. While the report documents some positive individual experiences of policing, participants reported a wide range of negative experiences, including the use of stop and search powers, property damage and wrongful arrests, with long-lasting effects and a wider ripple effect of fear, anxiety and uncertainty amongst racialised communities. Only 19% of 172 people surveyed believe they would be treated fairly if they made a complaint against the Gardaí. Individuals also reported being deterred from reporting crimes, as the Garda response is perceived to be unhelpful and, in some cases, harmful to victims. Racial profiling is a violation of human rights and An Garda Síochána has a legal obligation (under the public sector duty) to identify and combat all forms of discrimination. Among other measures, INAR is calling for a legal ban on racial profiling, improved oversight of racial profiling complaints and statutory disaggregated data collection. ICCL fully endorses these recommendations. As the new oversight structure under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 comes into effect this week, it is crucial that the Policing and Community Safety Authority and Fiosrú (the Office of the Police Ombudsman) scrutinise An Garda Síochána’s commitment to human rights-based policing.
March 31, 2025 at 5:06 PM
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All out for Palestine tomorrow ✊

🗓️Saturday 22 March
🕗1pm
📍 Garden of Remembrance

@ipsc.bsky.social
March 21, 2025 at 3:50 PM
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ICCL welcomes yesterday’s publication of the Policing Authority’s review of public order policing. Read our full statement 👇
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) welcomes yesterday’s publication of the Policing Authority’s review of public order policing. The report, which was submitted to the Minister for Justice over seven months ago, finds that An Garda Síochána has implemented fewer than half of the recommendations from a 2019 Garda Síochána Inspectorate report on the same subject. There is a striking discrepancy in the report between An Garda Síochána’s assessment of progress and that of the Policing Authority. Whereas An Garda Síochána reported having implemented 11 of the 19 recommendations, the Policing Authority found that only three had been fully implemented, with five not implemented at all. This stark difference in assessment demonstrates the importance of independent oversight of An Garda Síochána and the Policing Authority’s role. Having consulted with public order Gardaí and the Legal Section of An Garda Síochána, the report echoes the position of ICCL on many pieces of proposed new legislation. It finds that the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 is “sufficient to provide for an appropriate policing response that can keep people safe while vindicating human rights”. We also welcome the Authority’s concerns about proposals to legislate to require individuals who have breached the Act to remove face coverings. Importantly, the report finds that the public narrative that Gardaí are reluctant to use force because of fear of a complaint to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) does not reflect the experience of public order Gardaí. Robust and independent oversight of policing is essential to protect the human rights of everyone in Ireland. Oversight should not be used as a scapegoat and we must challenge any attempts to do so.
March 20, 2025 at 5:22 PM
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The annual Liberties Rule Of Law Report assesses the state of justice, corruption, media freedom, checks and balances, civic space and systemic human rights issues as compiled by 45 human rights organisations in 21 EU countries. Read the full report ➡️ www.iccl.ie/news/progres...
March 19, 2025 at 4:32 PM
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Fantastic turnout for our recent panel discussion with the Irish Refugee Council. This was a great opportunity to hear directly from international protection applicants, as well as the activists and volunteers who support them. Thank you to our speakers for sharing their experiences and insights.
March 18, 2025 at 4:28 PM
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Every person suspected of carrying out a crime has fundamental rights to liberty and the presumption of innocence.

ICCL is concerned that the introduction of electronic monitoring for people awaiting trial disproportionately interferes with those rights.
March 8, 2025 at 10:34 AM
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Congratulations to the winner of the 2025 ICCL Human Rights Film Award, Testimony!

Directed by Aoife Kelleher, this powerful and emotive documentary chronicles the fight for justice by survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries.

Stay tuned to find out where you can watch Testimony.
March 5, 2025 at 4:21 PM
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Today, ICCL and the Committee on the Administration of Justice launched our new joint report calling on the Irish government to investigate unresolved deaths and historic human rights violations — featuring testimony from victims and survivors.

We have 3 recommendations for the Irish government ⬇️
February 27, 2025 at 6:05 PM
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It's not too late to get your free ticket to "Body-worn Cameras: Practice, Procedure and Policy Considerations", organised in partnership with the Bar of Ireland on Tuesday 11, March.

Register now ➡️ www.eventbrite.ie/e/body-worn-...
February 25, 2025 at 3:48 PM
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The government needs to urgently pass the Occupied Territories Bill in line with parties' pre-election promises and Ireland's obligations under international law - a letter in today's Irish Times which we signed with many allies.

www.irishtimes.com/opinion/lett...
A picture of a letter to the editor of the Irish Times, calling on the government to pass the Occupied Territories Bill.
February 8, 2025 at 10:57 AM
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Thank you to Doras for inviting us to speak at the launch of the new "Access to Justice for International Protection Applicants in Ireland" report this afternoon.

ICCL provided an update on the new hate crime legislation and the gaps that this new law fills.
January 29, 2025 at 5:22 PM
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Today is #DataProtectionDay, an international day which aims to raise awareness of the importance of protecting all of our personal information online.

And yet, we find ourselves in a moment when the threat to democracy and human rights from Big Tech has never been so stark.
Today is International Data Protection Day.
January 28, 2025 at 5:32 PM