Gardaí fined for assaulting protester who tried to film them

national | crime and justice | other press Monday December 07, 2009 17:27 by Buck Owen

Legal to film gardaí, says judge.

A court has upheld the right of a private citizen to film gardaí. A judge found the person filming to acting lawfully and within his rights, and fined the two members of the Garda Siochána who assaulted him to prevent him filming to have acted illegally. They were given small fines, even though they pleaded not guilty and lied to the court about the nature of the assault.

There is no law against filming anyone in a public place in Ireland, and that includes the police. If they don't want to be caught on camera doing something, then they shouldn't be doing it.

Lastly, can you imagine what the sentence would be for a protester who grabbed a garda and assaulted him to stop him filming?

Evening Herald Article
http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/gardai-ass....html

TWO gardai have been found guilty of assaulting a passer-by who filmed officers.

Eoin Lawless was dragged up against a garda van and kneed in the back of the legs when he refused to hand over his camera, a court heard.

Garda Gavin Keegan (28) and Garda Damien Kildea (26) pleaded not guilty and claimed Mr Lawless fell off his bicycle during a tussle for the camera.

Read the full article at O'Reilly rag The Evening Herald here (click on their ads, they need the money):
http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/gardai-ass....html

Garda Kildea said he saw Mr Lawless recording and he genuinely felt what he was doing was wrong, though he said he now realised he had no legal right to take the camera. A judge said Mr Lawless was going about his lawful business, and the gardai did not act lawfully.