IPRT is committed to promoting and supporting the development of prison litigation in Ireland. Since 2009, we have co-hosted with the ICBA and the DSBA a series of Prison Law Seminars. This series has provided CPD accredited expert seminars for barristers and solicitors on topical issues of prison law and also provided a platform for exchange of ideas and information between leading practitioners in this area.
We have also provided support and assistance for both barristers and solicitors involved in prison litigation. This has involved research on legal developments internationally or at the ECHR level, identifying potential expert witnesses, and directly providing expertise and information on the operation of the prison system. We will continue to provide this support and we welcome contact from any practitioners who would like assistance with relevant litigation.
23rd October 2012
On Monday October 22nd 2012, IPRT hosted our ninth Prison Law Seminar on the topic of Parole Reform and the ECHR.
1st October 2012
Among the highlights of this bulletin are Irish High court decisions on parole and prison transfers; Northern Ireland and UK cases on body searching and parole; and several ECHR decisions including several on prison conditions and prison complaints procedures.
23rd July 2012
Among the highlights of this bulletin are the lacuna which prevented a person with mental health difficulties being deemed ‘not guilty by reason of insanity’; the material which a parole board ought to be allowed to have access to in an English decision; and a ECtHR decision on the treatment of mentally ill-detainees.
29th June 2012
This paper examines the aspects of the law regarding how decisions are made in prisons and the requirements for accountability for deaths and other serious incidents in custody.
29th June 2012
This paper seeks to address some practical aspects of taking prison law cases such as the causes of action available, matters relating to evidence, the possible role of interested agencies, and the effect of the release or transfer of a prisoner on a claim.
29th June 2012
This is part of a series of papers, one of which examines accountability structures and the law regulating Irish prisons; the other explores practical matters surrounding the taking of prison law cases.
28th June 2012
In this briefing, IPRT examines barriers to prisoners seeking to access justice, specifically through legal proceedings, and makes a number of recommendations directed at prison policy-makers, but also the legal profession.
10th April 2012
Among the highlights of this bulletin are Irish High Court decisions on the transfer of sentenced persons and remand; a large volume of new ECHR prison conditions cases; UK decisions on slopping out and on media interviews with prisoners; and a potentially significant US case on solitary confinement.
29th March 2012
On Thursday 29th March, IPRT co-hosted the latest in our series of Prison Law Seminars, this time on the topic of 'Prisoner Complaints and Obstacles to Prisoner Litigation'.
8th December 2011
The 8th in our series of Prison Law Seminars took place on Thurs 8th December, 2011 on the topic 'Creative Use of Legal Instruments: Current Prison Law Developments in England and Wales', presented by Caoilfhionn Gallagher BL, leading prison law practitioner.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.