10. Criminal Law

Updated to 31 December 2023 (Act No. 9 of 2024 and S.I. No. 141 of 2024)

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10.1. Criminal Law: General Part (General Principles) 1

1 See draft Criminal Code Bill and Commentary, prepared by Criminal Law Codification Advisory Committee (May 2010), available at www.justice.ie and www.criminalcode.ie.

10.1.1. Classification of Offences: Arrestable Offences

Justice
  • none
14/1997
Justice 24/2012

10.1.2. Mental Elements in Crime

Justice
  • none
5/1964

10.1.3. Defences

Justice
  • none
16/1949
Justice
  • none
26/1997
Justice 2 11/2006
Justice 40/2010
Justice 35/2011
2

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

10.2. Criminal Law: Specific Part (Specific Offences) 3

3 Ibid.

10.2.1. Offences Against the Person: Homicide (Murder and Manslaughter)

Justice
  • none
24 & 25 Vict., c. 100
Justice
  • none
5/1964
Justice
  • none
11/1993

10.2.2. Offences Against the Person: Sexual Offences

Justice
  • none
48 & 49 Vict., c. 69
Justice
  • none
8 Edw. 7, c. 45
Justice
  • none
6/1935
Justice
  • none
10/1981
Justice
  • none
32/1990
Justice
  • none
20/1993
Justice
  • none
38/1996
Justice
  • none
22/1998
Justice 18/2001
Justice
  • none
17/2004
Justice
  • none
15/2006
Justice
  • none
6/2007
Justice 2/2017
Justice 4/2019
Justice 9/2023

10.2.3. Offences Against the Person: Torture

Justice 11/2000

10.2.4. Offences Against the Person: Other Non-Fatal Offences, Including Assault

Justice
  • none
26/1997
Justice 11/2012
Justice 32/2020

10.2.5. Trafficking of Persons and Slavery

Justice
  • none
5 Geo. 4, c. 113
Justice
  • none
3 & 4 Will. 4, c. 73
Justice
  • none
8/2008
Justice
  • none
24/2013

10.2.6. Treason

Justice
  • none
10/1939

10.2.7. Offences Against the State, Including Terrorist Offences

Justice
  • none
10/1939
Justice 4 13/1939
Justice 2/1940
Justice
  • none
26/1972
Justice
  • none
33/1976
Justice
  • none
3/1985
Justice
  • none
39/1998
Justice 7 2/2005
Justice
  • none
17/2015
Justice 19/2013
Justice 8/2016
4

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

5 The SIs are out of date and should be considered for revocation.
6 The Emergency Powers Act 1939 (28/1939) was extended annually and expired on 2 September 1946 (26/1945, s. 4). Many Emergency Powers orders were made and, if not already revoked, ceased to have effect on expiry of the Act. Most are not listed in the eISB. They should be revoked as a matter of good practice.
7

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

8 See also at 10.5 in relation to money laundering.

10.2.8. Genocide and International War Crimes

Justice
  • none
30/2006
Justice
  • none
40/1998

10.2.9. Offences Involving International Organisations

Justice
  • none
16/2000

10.2.10. Maritime Security and Piracy

Comms 9
  • none
29/2004
9 Introduced to Oireachtas by Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in 2004.

10.2.11. Explosive Substances

Justice
  • none
46 & 47 Vict., c. 3

10.2.12. Firearms and Offensive Weapons 10

10

The Firearms (Temporary Provisions) Act 1998 (32/1998) was continued in force for a period of 12 months from 14 July 1999 by the Firearms (Temporary Provisions) Act 1998 Continuance Order 1999 (S.I. No. 189 of 1999) but no further extension was permitted by s. 4(5) of the 1998 Act; the 1998 Act adn S.I. No. 189 of 1999 have therefore expired and are no longer in force.

Justice 11 17/1925
Justice
  • none
1/1964
Enterprise 20/1968
Justice
  • none
13/1971
Justice 12/1990
Justice 20/2000
11

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011.

10.2.13. Drugs Offences

Health 12 12/1977
Health 18/1984
Justice 29/1996
Justice
  • none
33/1997
Justice 18/2003
Justice 22/2010
Health
  • none
6/2015
Health 9/2016
Health 7/2017
12

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

13 Revoked by Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Act 2016 (9/2016), s. 7(b), not commenced.
14 Revoked by Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Act 2016 (9/2016), s. 7(d), not commenced.

10.2.14. Offences Involving the Administration of Justice: Perjury 15

15 See generally Law Reform Commission Report on Consolidation and Reform of the Courts Acts (LRC 97-2010).
Justice
  • none
31 Geo. 3, c. 18
Justice
  • none
12/1975
Justice 13/2021

10.2.15. Offences Involving the Administration of Justice: Witness Protection 16

16 Ibid.
Justice 10/1999

10.2.16. Public Order

Justice
  • none
5 Geo. 4, c. 83
Justice
  • none
1 & 2 Will. 4, c. 44
Justice
  • none
10 & 11 Vict., c. 84
Justice 17 2/1994
Justice
  • none
16/2003
Justice
  • none
5/2011
17

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 480 of 2011. 

10.2.17. Bribery and Corruption

Justice 14/2014
Justice 9/2018
18 Also listed at Title 14.15: Protected Disclosures and Whistleblowing.

10.2.18. Theft and Fraud

Justice 50/2001
Justice 56/2015
Justice 2/2021
Justice 16/2021

10.2.19. Offences Against Property and Information Systems

Justice 25/1971
Justice 31/1991
Justice 11/2017

10.2.20. Offences Involving Speech

Justice
  • none
19/1989
Justice 43/2019

10.3. Criminal Procedure, Including Arrest

10.3.1. General

Justice
  • none
4 & 5 Geo. 5, c. 58
Justice 19
  • none
44/1924
Justice
  • none
2/1951
Justice
  • none
5/1964
Justice 12/1967
Justice
  • none
16/1973
Justice
  • none
32/1976
Justice
  • none
34/1976
Justice
  • none
40/1993
Justice 4/1997
Justice
  • none
9/1999
Justice
  • none
26/2006
Justice
  • none
36/2007
Justice 29/2007
Justice 19/2009
Justice 28/2009
Justice
  • none
32/2009
Justice
  • none
27/2010
Justice 22/2011
Justice 7/2021
Justice 36/2021
Justice 42/2021
Justice 24/2023
Justice
  • none
8/2024
19

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011.

20 This SI is made by the Minister for Defence and is the responsibility of the Department of Defence.

10.3.2. Arrest

Justice 22/1984

10.3.3. Bail

Justice 21 16/1997
Justice 14/2017
21

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 480 of 2011. 

10.3.4. Children and Youth Justice

Justice/Children 22 24/2001
Justice
  • none
18/1989
Justice/Children 30/2015
Children 6/2021
22

See S.I. No. 668 of 2011 (responsibility for remand centres and children detention schools assigned to Department of Children and Youth Affairs). Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011 and S.I. No. 480 of 2011. 

23 The enabling provision is the Children Act 1908 (8 Edw. 7 c. 67), ss. 75(1) and 130. This was repealed by Children Act 2001 (24/2001), ss. 2(1), 5(1), (2) and sch. 2 and commenced by S.I. No. 64 of 2007, subject to a saver in s. 5(2): Every order, regulation and rule made under any provision of an enactment repealed by this Act and in force immediately before such repeal shall continue in force under the corresponding provision, if any, of this Act, subject to such adaptations and modifications as the Minister, the Minister for Education and Science or the Minister for Health and Children may by regulations make for the purpose of bringing any such order, regulation or rule into conformity with this Act. This SI is obsolete and should be revoked.
24

The enabling provision is the Children Act 1941 (12/1941), s. 21. This was repealed by Children Act 2001 (24/2001), ss. 2(1), 5(1), (2) and sch. 2 and commenced by S.I. No. 64 of 2007, subject to a saver in s. 5(2) (above). The SI refers to payment under Children Act 1908, s. 74, also repealed by 24/2001.  This SI is obsolete and should be revoked.

25 This Act is obsolete as the legislation it amended, Children Acts 1908 to 1957, was repealed by the Children Act 2001 (24/2001). It should be repealed.

10.3.5. Director of Public Prosecutions

Taoiseach 26 22/1974
26 Taoiseach may make Regulations under 1974 Act.

10.3.6. Extraterritorial Jurisdiction

Justice
  • none
14/1976
Justice 6/2019

10.3.7. Search Warrants

Justice
  • none
33/2012

10.3.8. Victims of Crime

Justice 28/2017

10.4. Sentencing, Including Fines and Community Sanctions

Justice
  • none
7 Edw. 7, c. 17
Justice 23/1983
Justice
  • none
16/1990
Justice
  • none
6/1993
Justice
  • none
16/1995
Justice
  • none
41/1997
Justice 27
  • none
36/1998
Justice 10/1999
Justice 34/2003
Justice 28/2005
Justice
  • none
26/2006
Justice 29 8/2010
Justice 24/2011
Justice 7/2014
Justice 4/2017
27

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

28 This Act is also listed under 9.2.1, and SIs are listed under the first mention of the Act.
29

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011 and S.I. No. 480 of 2011. 

10.5. Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime 30

30 Sinn Féin Funds Act 1947 (13/1947) declared unconstitutional by Supreme Court in Buckley and Others v. Attorney General and Power [1950] I.R. 67.
Justice 31 15/1994
Justice 32
  • none
30/1996
Justice 33 31/1996
Justice
  • none
1/2005
Justice 34 6/2010
Justice 19/2013
Justice 26/2018
Justice 3/2021
31

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

32

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

33

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

34

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. Finance (in part): see S.I. No. 647 of 2011. 

35 See also at 10.2.7, Offences against the State including Terrorism.

10.6. Disposal of Property in Garda Custody

Justice
  • none
60 & 61 Vict., c. 30

10.7. Extradition and European Arrest Warrant

Justice 17/1965
Justice 1/1987
Justice 25/1987
Justice 6/1994
Justice 49/2001
Justice 45/2003
Justice 30/2012
Justice
  • none
9/2024

10.8. Spent Convictions, Disclosure and Vetting

Justice 4/2016
Justice
  • none
34 & 35 Vict., c. 112
Justice 47/2012

10.9. International Mutual Assistance

Justice 36 7/2008
Justice 40/2015
Justice 20/2019
Justice 27/2019
Justice 51/2019
Justice 21/2020
Justice 3/2023
36

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

37 The enabling provision is Criminal Justice Act 1994 (15/1994), s. 46(1), which was repealed by 7/2008, s. 10(a), subject to continuation of mutual assistance provided under the 1994 Act, Part VII in s. 11.
38 The enabling provision is Criminal Justice Act 1994 (15/1994), s. 47(1), which was repealed by 7/2008, s. 10(a), subject to continuation of mutual assistance provided under the 1994 Act, Part VII in s. 11.
39 The enabling provision is Criminal Justice Act 1994 (15/1994), s. 55(1), which was repealed by 7/2008, s. 10(a), subject to continuation of mutual assistance provided under the 1994 Act, Part VII in s. 11.

10.10. Criminal Legal Aid

Justice 40 12/1962
40

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

41 These regulations are heavily amended and 50 years old. They would benefit from revocation and replacement.

10.11. ECA Section 3 Statutory Instruments

Foreign 27/1972