Minister McEntee launches justice sector programme of commemorative events for 2022-2024 as part of the Decade of Centenaries’ Programme
13 April 2022
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has today launched the justice sector programme of commemorative events for 2022-2024 as part of the Decade of Centenaries Programme.
The Minister said:
“Over the past decade, we have collectively reflected on many of the formative events in the history of our State as part of the Decade of Centenaries. The period which we are now considering saw the foundation of the State and the establishment, or, in some cases, the handing over of many of the institutions and administrative pillars which have served us since then.
Central to this was the justice sector. Indeed, 1922 was a particularly significant year. It saw the foundation of our national police service, An Garda Síochána. It was also, of course, a year which tragically saw the advent of the Civil War and this was reflected in the occupation of the Four Courts, and with it the destruction of the Public Records Office.
Both 1922 and the years that followed saw many developments and transitions, including the end to the revolutionary Dáil Courts regime and the establishment of the Courts system of the new State. These were tumultuous years as the new State came into being. Both the Department of Justice, its forerunner, the Department of Home Affairs, and the various other parts of the justice sector were central to that time and that work.
I hope that the Decade of Centenaries Justice Sector Programme 2022-24 will capture some of the importance of this work, and help bring some new insights and understanding to those years. This must be an open and honest discussion, and throughout we will attempt to consider all aspects of our history - those that are well known, and those which may not have received enough discussion in the past.
I would encourage all those with an interest in these events to join us in that spirit and participate.”
An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service are leading comprehensive programmes of events over the course of this year to mark the key events of the establishment of An Garda Síochána, the occupation of the Four Courts and the impact which this had on the operation of the Courts at the time, and the development and enactment of the Constitution of the Irish Free State. Details of these events are available in the programme.
A justice sector symposium, titled Justice in Ireland 1822-2022, will take place in the Printworks of Dublin Castle in partnership with an academic institution on 22 November. Falling on the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the County Constabulary and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of An Garda Síochána, the symposium will provide an opportunity for a consideration by academics and practitioners of the development of both policing and justice institutions more broadly over that time, including the evolution of the prison and probation services. Further details will be announced over the coming weeks.
The Decade of Centenaries Programme provides a critical opportunity to focus on the development of access to historical records and primary sources from this key period. To this end, the Department intends to commence a number of projects to provide access to records from the early decades of the State. This will include the cataloguing of early 20th century departmental files for release to the National Archives and the commissioning of a written history of the first fifty years of the Department.
In addition to those being announced today, the programme of events and initiatives will continue to develop over the life of the programme. Additions will be announced by the Department or relevant agency via their traditional and online channels.
The Minister concluded:
“I would like to thank Dr Maurice Manning, Chair of the Expert Advisory Group on Centenary Commemorations and the Group, for the guidance in developing this programme of events and initiatives. I also want to thank the justice sector agencies for engaging with my Department to produce a diverse range of sectoral commemorations and to congratulate An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service on their commemorative programmes for this year. I would encourage members of the public to participate in the justice sector commemorations over the coming years and hope that they will find the programme informative and enjoyable in equal measure.”
The programme can accessed be from the Department of Justice website at
ENDS
Note to Editors:
Seolann an tAire Nic an tSaoi clár imeachtaí cuimhneacháin earnáil an cheartais do 2022-2024 mar chuid de Chlár Dheich mBliana na gCuimhneachán
13 Aibreán 2022
Tá an tAire Dlí agus Cirt, Eiléana Nic an tSaoi TD, tar éis clár imeachtaí cuimhneacháin earnáil an cheartais do 2022-2024, mar chuid de Chlár Dheich mBliana na gCuimhneachán, a sheoladh inniu.
Dúirt an tAire:
“Le deich mbliana anuas, táimid tar éis machnamh a dhéanamh le chéile ar go leor de na himeachtaí múnlaitheacha i stair ár Stáit mar chuid de Dheich mBliana na gCuimhneachán. Sa tréimhse atá á breithniú againn anois chonacthas bunú an Stáit agus bunú – nó, i roinnt cásanna, tabhairt ar láimh – go leor de na hinstitiúidí agus de na colúin riaracháin atá tar éis fónamh dúinn ó shin i leith.
Bhí earnáil an cheartais lárnach i dtaca leis sin. Go deimhin, bhí tábhacht ar leith ag baint leis an mbliain 2022. Sa bhliain sin chonacthas bunú ár seirbhíse náisiúnta póilíneachta, an Garda Síochána. Bliain ba ea í, chomh maith, ar ndóigh, ina bhfacthas go tragóideach teacht an Chogaidh Chathartha, agus léiríodh é sin i bhforghabháil na gCeithre Chúirt, agus scrios Oifig na dTaifead Poiblí dá dheasca sin.
Sa bhliain 1922 agus sna blianta ina dhiaidh sin araon, chonacthas go leor forbairtí agus aistrithe, lena n-áirítear deireadh le réimeas réabhlóideach na gCúirteanna Dála, agus bunú chóras Cúirteanna an Stáit nua. Blianta corraitheacha a bhí sna blianta sin agus an Stát nua ag teacht chun bheith ann. Bhí an Roinn Dlí agus Cirt, a réamhtheachtaí – an Aireacht um Ghnóthaí Dúiche – agus na codanna éagsúla eile d’earnáil an cheartais lárnach don tréimhse ama sin agus don obair sin.
Tá súil agam go gcuirfear cuid de thábhacht na hoibre sin in iúl le Clár 2022-2024 Earnáil an Cheartais um Dheich mBliana na gCuimhneachán, agus go gcuideofar leis an gClár sin chun roinnt léargas agus tuisceana nua a thabhairt chuig na blianta sin. Caithfidh sé seo bheith ina phlé oscailte macánta, agus déanfaimid iarracht i gcaitheamh an ama sin gach gné dár stair a bhreithniú – na gnéithe sin a bhfuil an-eolas orthu, agus na cinn a bhféadfaidh sé nach ndearnadh dóthain plé orthu san am atá caite.
Mholfainn do na daoine go léir ar spéis leo na himeachtaí sin bheith linn sa spiorad sin agus páirt a ghlacadh iontu.”
Tá an Garda Síochána agus an tSeirbhís Chúirteanna ag dul i mbun clár cuimsitheach imeachtaí i gcaitheamh na bliana seo chun comóradh a dhéanamh ar na himeachtaí tábhachtacha a bhí i mbunú an Gharda Síochána, forghabháil na gCeithre Chúirt agus an tionchar a bhí aige sin ar oibriú na gCúirteanna san am, agus forbairt agus achtú Bhunreacht Shaorstát Éireann. Tá mionsonraí faoi na himeachtaí sin le fáil sa chlár.
Beidh siompóisiam a bhainfidh le hearnáil an cheartais, dar teideal An Ceartas in Éirinn, 1822-2022, ar siúl i gClólann Chaisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath, i gcomh-pháirtíocht le hinstitiúid acadúil, ar an 22 Samhain. Agus é le bheith ar siúl ar chothrom 200 bliain bhunú na Constáblachta Contae agus cothrom 100 bliain bhunú an Gharda Síochána, cuirfidh an siompóisiam deis ar fáil le go bhféadfaidh acadóirí agus cleachtóirí breithniú níos forleithne a dhéanamh ar fhorbairt institiúidí póilínithe agus ceartais araon thar an tréimhse ama sin, lena n-áirítear éabhlóid na seirbhísí príosúin agus probhaidh. Déanfar tuilleadh mionsonraí a fhógairt sna seachtainí amach romhainn.
Deis chriticiúil atá i gClár Dheich mBliana na gCuimhneachán chun díriú ar fhorbairt rochtana ar thaifid staire agus ar bhunfhoinsí ón tréimhse thábhachtach sin. Chuige sin, tá faoin Roinn tús a chur le roinnt tionscadal chun rochtain a chur ar fáil ar thaifid ó bhlianta luatha an Stáit. Áireofar sa mhéid sin comhaid na Roinne ó go luath san 20ú haois a chatalógú lena scaoileadh chuig an gCartlann Náisiúnta, agus stair an chéad leathchéid bliain den Roinn, i scríbhinn, a choimisiúnú.
De bhreis ar na himeachtaí agus na dtionscnamh atá a bhfógairt inniu, leanfar d’fhorbairt a dhéanamh ar an gclár imeachtaí agus tionscnamh thar shaolré an chláir. Déanfaidh an Roinn nó an ghníomhaireacht iomchuí imeachtaí breise agus tionscnaimh bhreise a fhógairt trína gcainéil thraidisiúnta agus a gcainéil ar líne.
Mar fhocal scoir, dúirt an tAire:
“Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Dr Maurice Manning, Cathaoirleach an tSainghrúpa Chomhairligh maidir le Comóradh Céad Bliain, ags leis an nGrúpa, as an treoir agus an clár imeachtaí agus tionscnamh seo á fhorbairt. Teastaíonn uaim buíochas a ghlacadh, chomh maith, le gníomhaireachtaí earnáil an cheartais as dul i mbun plé le mo Roinn chun réimse ilghnéitheach cuimhneachán earnála a chur ar fáil, agus comhghairdeas a dhéanamh leis an nGarda Síochána agus leis an tSeirbhís Chúirteanna as a gcláir chuimhneacháin don bhliain seo. Mholfainn do dhaoine den phobal páirt a ghlacadh i gcuimhneacháin earnáil an cheartais thar na blianta atá amach romhainn, agus tá súil agam go bhfeicfidh siad gur clár faisnéiseach agus taitneamhach in éineacht atá sa chlár.”
Is féidir rochtain a fháil ar an gclár ó shuíomh gréasáin na Roinne Dlí agus Cirt ag
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