Sir, - The British Home Secretary, Jack Straw, has confirmed that his government plans to scrap the power to intern people without trial in Northern Ireland. It also plans to send fewer cases to the non-jury Diplock courts and to introduce general audio recording of RUC interviews with suspects.
This is all long overdue and regrettably it is being done in the context of bringing in a new UKwide anti-terrorist law which human rights organisations see as quite unnecessary. All the same, these moves are welcome as they show some concern to get rid of the worst elements of the oppressive legislation built up over the years in the North.
Sadly, there is not much sign of a similar concern in the Republic, where internment is still on the statute book and the non-jury Special Criminal Court is in full swing. And no-one seems to feel that there is any need to review this situation even though political violence here is only a fraction of what it is in the North.
It is a worrying example of how easily emergency measures such as the Offences Against the State Act and special courts can become part of the ordinary law so that people do not even notice them any more.
Building peace means taking risks and making leaps of faith. One of those leaps is ending emergency measures and relying on the ordinary rule of law. But if this has to be done in Northern Ireland, it must be done in the Republic as well. Wouldn't it be better for Dublin to show the way in this field instead of having to be reluctantly dragged along behind the North?
And of course there is also the question of audio and video recording of interviews. Judge Frank Martin's Report recommended this back in 1990. It would be good to at least have it in place for the new millennium. - Yours, etc.,
From Michael Farrell
Co-Chairperson, Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2.