ATTORNEY GENERAl Paul Gallagher has cleared the way for the no-jury Special Criminal Court to be used to tackle gangland criminals.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern is understood to have spent considerable time with the Attorney General over recent weeks to tease out how the court could be used and is to bring a package of measures before the Cabinet tomorrow.
The fact that he is bringing the package to the Cabinet indicates that constitutional hurdles have been overcome, government sources said last night.
The package will also include tougher penalties for those guilty of intimidating witnesses and a crime of directing a gang; or being a member of one.
Yesterday, after an estimated 5,000 people took part in a march against gangland violence organised by Steve Collins, the father of Roy Collins who was murdered on April 9th, Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea said new proposals to tackle criminal gangs would be brought before Cabinet tomorrow.
Mr Collins told the crowd gathered in front of City Hall after the march that his family had organised the public rally in an effort to send out a message to the “thugs” who had destroyed their lives.
Thousands observed a minute’s silence in Merchant’s Quay before a lone uilleann piper played Limerick’s Lament. “This has been a traumatic time for our family, which we felt should not have gone without some kind of message to the thugs who have destroyed our lives and have let us down and have let the good name of Limerick down,” Mr Collins told the crowds.
“By your actions here today you have spoken and said we have had enough of the low-life mutants that have eaten into the fabric of our society like a cancer that must be cut out,” he added.
Calls by Mr Collins for new legislation to deal with gangland criminals, including the introduction of internment, were greeted with massive applause by the crowd.
He said internment would allow for between 50 to 100 people in criminal gangs to be taken off the streets of Limerick.
“Let’s hope that this action yields some kind of reward going forward because, believe me, nobody wants to go through what my family has had to endure. From the bottom of my broken heart, thank you all,” he said.
Limerick’s Mayor John Gilligan described gangland criminals as “cruel, heartless monsters”.
Mr Gilligan thanked the thousands of people who turned up yesterday for having the courage to attend, and received loud applause when he said the people of Limerick were not prepared to allow those who have “introduced the death penalty to our streets” to continue their terror.
Martin Fitzgerald, father of murdered Limerick doorman Brian Fitzgerald, shot dead in November 2002 after he refused to allow criminals to sell drugs in his nightclub, was also present.
“All the family are here today to support Mr Collins because we know what he’s going through or what he will go through,” he said.
Tony Geogheghan, the uncle of murdered Limerick rugby player Shane Geoghegan, shot dead in a case of mistaken identity on November 9th last, also attended.
Solicitor John Hennessy, who has been under 24-hour Garda protection since his client Baibe Saulite was murdered in Dublin, was also present. “I’m hoping there’s a big message from the community that this simply won’t be tolerated any more,” said Mr Hennessy.