Letter to Santa done? Now try this

national | crime and justice | news report Monday December 19, 2005 12:08 by A correspondent writes

Want to tell the UN how seriously Ireland takes its duty to fight torture? In case you missed your opportunity, here it comes knocking again.

The Dept of Justice is asking (quietly) for comments from the public on how Ireland is fulfilling its duties under the Convention against Torture. The advert for this appeared in a newspaper last week and the deadline expires just a week in to the New Year. Looks like a carefully chosen timescale to me, middle of the holiday rush, unlikely to be spotted and so unlikely to be taken up by people who might have troubling comments to make about Shannon and rendition - or how our Courts seem unable to make the Government abide by international law no matter what the Convention or the Constitutution say.

Maybe the Committee might recommend extending the time for comment and might publicise the opportunity with a bit of vigour. You won't even find the advert on the Dept of Justice website. And the convoluted email address given for submissions is almost guaranteed to trip up the unwary typist. See ad text copied below:

'The Dept of Justice Equality and Law Reform is currently preparing the First National Report by Ireland as required under Section 19 of the UN International Convention aganst Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment ....the Dept. now wishes to invite submissions from interested parties on the above matter. Submissions should be made in writing or by email and should be confined to the above matter.

Submissions should be made before 9 January 2006. Send to Room 304, Dept. of Justice Equality and Law Reform, Shelbourne Rd., Ballsbridge, Dubln 4 or to Prisons_Policy_INBOX@justice.ie.

Note: the text of the Convention is available electronically from www.ohchr.org/english/law.htm. The legislation which gave effect to it in Ireland is the Criminal Justice (United Nations Convention against Torture) Act 2000 (no 11 of 2000) available from www. irishstatutebook.ie or www.oireachteas.ie'.