Are we entering a No Free Speech Country? Journalists are Vital to Democracy, as long as they Write the Facts and we must at all times be aware of the influence of Garda leaks (which may or may not be accurate). Journalism is the essential 4th Pillar of our Separation of Powers and our Constitution.

PROPOSED LEGISLATION ALLOWING GARDAI TO COMPEL JOURNALISTS TO HAND OVER THEIR PHONES AND DEVICES ALONG WITH PASSWORDS COULD PREVENT WHISTLEBLOWERS FROM COMING FORWARD TO REPORT WRONGDOING.

Dr Cian Ó Concubhair Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at the Department of Law, NUI Maynooth raises major concern about proposed legislation that would give Gardai the power to seize journalists’ phones and devices and demand the passwords.

“If journalists are forced to reveal sources, future potential sources may not come forward, and serious wrongdoing may not, as a result, come to light: or so the thinking goes,” he says. His full opinion piece is here https://www.thejournal.ie/…/garda-powers…/.