Courts / Ireland / Report

DPP seeks order quashing judge's direction in child abuse imagery case

Summary

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has filed a High Court challenge against a circuit court judge's direction to send a hard drive, allegedly containing thousands of child abuse images, abroad for expert analysis. The DPP argues that once the drive leaves Ireland, Gardaí would lose effective control over the images, potentially allowing further circulation beyond what is strictly necessary. The accused, who denies the charges and claims the images are not his, has requested forensic examination of the seized drive by an expert. The judge had previously allowed the defence to provide the expert with a copy of the drive, to be couriered to the UK, but the DPP contends that the judge lacked jurisdiction to order such disclosure. The High Court case seeks to quash the judge's direction and declare that Gardaí and the DPP cannot be directed to disclose a copy of the drive in a manner that would allow the material to leave the country.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: DPP seeks order quashing judge's direction in child abuse imagery case. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• 2021-06-23 Publication

Why: The DPP has brought the action regarding the images on the drive, which are to be used in evidence in a forthcoming criminal trial, because Gardai would lose effective control over the images once they left the jurisdiction. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial

Read the original CNI report