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Jobstown trial tweets prompt calls for new contempt bill

Six men accused of falsely imprisoning former Tánaiste Joan Burton were found not guilty last week.
Six men accused of falsely imprisoning former Tánaiste Joan Burton were found not guilty last week. Six men accused of falsely imprisoning former Tánaiste Joan Burton were found not guilty last week.

A FINE TD is to bring a private member’s bill to the Dáil making it an offence to comment on an ongoing criminal case, in the wake of the Jobstown trial.

Solidarity TD Paul Murphy and five others were found not guilty last week of restricting the personal liberty of ex-tanaiste Joan Burton and her then assistant in 2014 in Jobstown, Dublin during a water charge demonstration.

Josepha Madigan said she found some comments made on social media by supporters of Mr Murphy during the trial “very menacing”.

While there is a common law offence of contempt of court, the Republic does not have a Contempt of Court Act like the UK.

A massive social media campaign was launched by supporters of the six men during the course of the trial during which some of the evidence presented was questioned and scrutinised online.

Normally the traditional media is restricted from commenting on an on-going trial or offering analysis of evidence in case it interferes with the judicial process.

Supporters of the men regularly posted video clips which foused on the progress of the trial.

Mr Murphy himself is believed to have tweeted from the courtroom as the case was being heard.

Ms Madigan last night said she wants to make contempt of court a statutory offence in the wake of the trial.

The Dublin Rathdown TD believes that current laws need to be updated to cover the increased use of social media and claimed that some comments made during the Jobstown trial were "menacing".

“Well, I found it very difficult during the Jobstown trial, and indeed I would say the same if it was any trial, the fact that there was a lot of activity on social media, on Facebook and on Twitter, about the trial itself,” she said

“The media, the main media, are not allowed make comments like that during criminal trials, and I don’t think it should be allowed on social media either,” she told the Sunday Times.

She added that while she did not know if social media had an influence on jurors, there needs to be legislation to protect jurors from outside influences.

Ms Madigan admitted we do not know if social media had an influence on the jurors, but she said we needed legislation to protect juries from outside influences.