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24 2001

CHILDREN ACT, 2001

PART 6

Treatment of Child Suspects in Garda Síochána Stations

Treatment of child suspects.

55. —In any investigation relating to the commission or possible commission of an offence by children, members of the Garda Síochána shall act with due respect for the personal rights of the children and their dignity as human persons, for their vulnerability owing to their age and level of maturity and for the special needs of any of them who may be under a physical or mental disability, while complying with the obligation to prevent escapes from custody and continuing to act with diligence and determination in the investigation of crime and the protection and vindication of the personal rights of other persons.

Separation of children from adults in Garda Síochána station.

56. —The member in charge of a Garda Síochána station shall, as far as practicable, ensure that any child while detained in the station shall not associate with an adult who is so detained and shall not be kept in a cell unless there is no other secure accommodation available.

Notification to child.

57. —Where a child is arrested and brought to a Garda Síochána station on suspicion of having committed an offence, the member in charge of the station shall without delay inform the child or cause the child to be informed, in a manner and in language that is appropriate to the age and level of understanding of the child—

(a) of the offence in respect of which he or she has been arrested,

(b) that he or she is entitled to consult a solicitor and how this entitlement can be availed of, and

(c) that the child's parent or guardian is being—

(i) informed that the child is in custody in the station,

(ii) given the information specified in paragraphs (a) and (b), and

(iii) requested to attend at the station without delay.

Notification of arrest of child to parent or guardian.

58. —(1) When a child is arrested and brought to a Garda Síochána station on suspicion of having committed an offence, the member in charge of the station shall as soon as practicable—

(a) inform or cause to be informed a parent or guardian of the child—

(i) that the child is in custody in the station,

(ii) in ordinary language and in the Irish language when dealing with a child from the Gaeltacht or a child whose first language is Irish, of the nature of the offence in respect of which the child has been arrested, and

(iii) that the child is entitled to consult a solicitor and as to how this entitlement can be availed of;

and

(b) request the parent or guardian to attend at the station without delay.

(2) (a)  If the member in charge of the station—

(i) is unable to communicate with a parent or guardian of the child, or

(ii) the parent or guardian indicates that he or she cannot or will not attend at the station within a reasonable time,

the member shall inform the child or cause the child to be informed without delay of that fact and of the child's entitlement to have an adult relative or other adult reasonably named by him or her given the information specified in subsection (1)(a) and requested to attend at the station without delay.

(b) Subsection (1) shall apply in relation to a person named by a child pursuant to paragraph (a) as it applies in relation to a parent or guardian.

(3) Where the child is being transferred to another station or other place, the member in charge of the station from which the child is being transferred shall inform any person who has been informed under this section that the child is in custody, or cause him or her to be informed, of the transfer as soon as practicable.

Notification to health board.

59. —(1) Where the member in charge of a Garda Síochána station has reasonable cause to believe that a child who is in custody in the station on suspicion of having committed an offence may be in need of care or protection, the member shall, as soon as practicable, inform or cause to be informed the health board for the area in which the station is located accordingly, and the health board shall send a representative to the station as soon as practicable.

(2) Where it is not practicable for the representative of the health board to attend at the station within a reasonable time, he or she shall at the first available opportunity attend at the station to ascertain why the member in charge had reasonable cause to believe that the child may be in need of care or protection.

(3) The health board shall, where appropriate, exercise its powers under the Act of 1991 in relation to the child.

(4) Where section 61 (1)(b) applies, the representative of the health board who attends the station shall be entitled to be present at the questioning of the child.

Notification to solicitor.

60. —(1) Where a child who is in custody in a Garda Síochána station has asked for a solicitor, the member in charge of the station shall notify the solicitor or cause him or her to be notified accordingly as soon as practicable.

(2) Where the solicitor cannot be contacted within a reasonable time or is unwilling or unable to attend at the station, the child shall be so informed and given an opportunity to ask for another solicitor, and the member in charge shall notify or cause to be notified that other solicitor accordingly as soon as practicable.

(3) Subsections (1) and (2) shall also apply in relation to a request for a solicitor for the child by any parent, guardian, adult relative, any adult reasonably named by the child or other adult (not being a member of the Garda Síochána) who is present, in accordance with section 61 (1)(b), during the questioning of the child or the taking of a written statement.

(4) Where the child is being transferred to another station, the member in charge of the station from which the child is being transferred shall notify any solicitor who has been notified under this section or cause him or her to be notified of the transfer as soon as practicable.

(5) Where a solicitor (other than a named solicitor) has been requested by or on behalf of a child, the member in charge shall give the person making the request or cause him or her to be given the name of one or more than one solicitor whom the member in charge reasonably believes may be willing to attend at the station within a reasonable time.

Interviewing children.

61. —(1) Subject to subsections (2) to (4), a child who has been detained in a Garda Síochána station pursuant to any enactment shall not be questioned, or asked to make a written statement, in relation to an offence in respect of which he or she has been arrested unless in the presence of—

(a) a parent or guardian, or

(b) in his or her absence, another adult (not being a member of the Garda Síochána) nominated by the member in charge of the station.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the member in charge of the station may authorise the questioning of the child or the taking of a written statement in the absence of a parent or guardian, where the member has reasonable grounds for believing that to delay the questioning would involve a risk of death or injury to persons, serious loss of or damage to property, destruction of or interference with evidence or escape of accomplices.

(3) The member in charge of the station may authorise the exclusion of a parent or guardian during the questioning of the child or the taking of a written statement where—

(a) the parent or guardian is the victim of, or has been arrested in respect of, the offence being investigated,

(b) the member has reasonable grounds for suspecting the parent or guardian of complicity in the offence, or

(c) the member has reasonable grounds for believing that the parent or guardian would, if present during the questioning or the taking of a written statement, be likely to obstruct the course of justice.

(4) The member in charge of the station may authorise the removal of a parent or guardian during the questioning of the child or the taking of a written statement where the member has reasonable grounds for believing that the conduct of the parent or guardian is such as to amount to an obstruction of the course of justice.

(5) Where the child or his or her parent or guardian asks for a solicitor, he or she shall not be asked to make a statement, either orally or in writing, in relation to an offence until a reasonable time for the attendance of the solicitor has elapsed.

(6) A child who is from a Gaeltacht area or whose first language is Irish shall be entitled to be questioned or to make a written statement in the Irish language, and any other child shall be entitled to make a written or oral statement in that language.

(7) In this section references to a parent or guardian include references to an adult relative of the child, an adult reasonably named by the child pursuant to section 58 (2)(a) or the adult mentioned in subsection (1)(b).

Notification of proceedings to parent or guardian.

62. —(1) Where a child who is in custody in a Garda Síochána station is charged with an offence and the child's parent or guardian is present at the station, the member in charge of the station shall ensure that—

(a) a copy of the charge sheet containing particulars of the offence is handed to the parent or guardian, and

(b) as soon as practicable, a notification in writing is sent to the child's parents or guardian of—

(i) the time, date and place of the child's first appearance before the court, and

(ii) the provisions of section 91 concerning non-attendance, without reasonable excuse, of a parent or guardian at the court proceedings.

(2) Where the child's parent or guardian is not present at the station and his or her address is known, the member in charge of the station shall ensure that as soon as practicable—

(a) a copy of the charge sheet containing particulars of the offence is sent to the parents or guardian, and

(b) a notification in writing is sent to the parents or guardian of—

(i) the time, date and place of the child's first appearance before the court,

(ii) the provisions of section 91 concerning the non-attendance, without reasonable excuse, of a parent or guardian at the court proceedings,

(iii) whether or not a recognisance was taken from the child,

(iv) the name of any adult who attended at the station at the request of the child, and

(v) if the child consulted a solicitor, the solicitor's name and address.

Notification of proceedings to adult relative or other adult.

63. —(1) Where a child who is in custody in a Garda Síochána station is charged with an offence and the child's parent or guardian is not present at the station, the member in charge shall ensure that a copy of the charge sheet containing particulars of the offence is handed to an adult relative of the child who is so present.

(2) The member in charge of the station shall also ensure that as soon as practicable the adult relative is notified of the time, date and place of the child's first appearance before the court and, if the child has consulted a solicitor, of the solicitor's name and address.

(3) Where neither the parent or guardian nor any adult relative of the child is present at the station, the member in charge of the station may send a copy of the charge sheet and a notification of the time, date and place of the child's first appearance before the court to an adult relative.

(4) The duties of the member in charge under this section shall apply only where the member is of opinion that the child's parent or guardian would not be available to attend court with the child and that the adult relative in question is likely to be of assistance to, and provide support for, the child during the court proceedings.

(5) In this section “adult relative” includes any adult reasonably named by the child pursuant to section 58 (2)(a).

Procedure by summons.

64. —(1) Where proceedings in respect of an offence alleged to have been committed by a child are to be commenced by the issue of a summons, the child's parents or guardian may be named in the summons and, if named, shall be required to appear at the sitting of the court specified in the summons.

(2) Where the summons names the child's parents or guardian, it shall also specify the provisions of section 91 concerning non-attendance, without reasonable excuse, of a parent or guardian at the specified sitting of the court.

Notice to adult relative or other adult where proceeding by summons.

65. —(1) Where proceedings in respect of an offence alleged to have been committed by a child are to be commenced by the issue of a summons and the whereabouts of his or her parents or guardian are unknown, a notice under this section may be issued to an adult relative of the child or other adult reasonably named by the child, whether or not the adult relative or other adult attended at the Garda Síochána station pursuant to section 58 (2).

(2) A notice under this section shall be issued by the member of the Garda Síochána dealing with the child in respect of the offence for which the summons is being issued.

(3) The notice shall state the time, date and place of the sitting of the court in respect of which the summons was issued and shall contain particulars of the offence which the child is alleged to have committed.

(4) The notice shall issue only with the agreement of the child and where the member is of opinion that the adult concerned is likely to be of assistance to, and provide support for, the child during the court proceedings.

Provisions common to sections 56 to 63 and 65.

66. —(1) In this section “the relevant sections” means sections 56 to 63 and 65.

(2) A failure on the part of any member of the Garda Síochána to observe any provision of the relevant sections shall not of itself render that member liable to any criminal or civil proceedings or of itself affect the lawfulness of the custody of a detained child or of the admissibility in evidence of any statement made by the child.

(3) A failure on the part of any member of the Garda Síochána to observe any provision of the relevant sections shall render that member liable to disciplinary proceedings.

(4) The duties imposed by the relevant sections on members of the Garda Síochána in relation to the treatment of any child who is in custody in a Garda Síochána station are without prejudice to any other duties imposed on them in that respect by or under any other enactment.

(5) The provisions of the relevant sections shall not apply if and for so long as the member in charge of the Garda Síochána station in which a person is in custody has reasonable grounds for believing that the person is not below the age of 18 years.

Amendment of section 5 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 .

67. —Section 5 (which provides for access to a solicitor and notification of detention) of the Act of 1984 is hereby amended by the deletion of subsection (2) of that section and the substitution of “eighteen years” for “seventeen years” where the latter expression occurs in subsections (1) and (3) thereof.

Release on bail by member of Garda Síochána.

68. —(1) When a child is arrested and brought to a Garda Síochána station by a member of the Garda Síochána, the member in charge of the station may, if he or she considers it prudent to do so and no warrant directing the detention of the child is in force, release the child on bail and for that purpose take, or arrange to have taken, from the child a recognisance, with or without sureties, for his or her due appearance—

(a) before the Children Court at its next sitting in the district court area in which the child has been arrested or at any subsequent sitting thereof in that district court area during the period of 30 days immediately following such next sitting, or

(b) in the case of the Children Court in the Dublin Metropolitan District, before the next sitting of that Court or any subsequent sitting thereof during the period of 30 days immediately following such next sitting.

(2) The recognisance referred to in subsection (1) may be taken from the child's parent or guardian and may be for the due appearance before the Children Court of the parent or guardian as well as of the child concerned.

(3) The recognisance may be estreated in like manner as a recognisance entered into before a judge of the District Court is estreated.

(4) A sum of money equivalent to the amount of bail may be accepted in lieu of a surety or sureties.

(5) Any recognisance taken under this section, or any sum of money accepted under this section in lieu of a surety or sureties, shall be transmitted, by the person taking the recognisance or receiving the sum of money, to the district court clerk for the district court area in which the sitting of the Children Court before which the child is to appear is being held.

(6) This section does not apply in the case of an arrest of a child under section 251 (which deals with the arrest of suspected deserters and absentees) of the Defence Act, 1954 .

(7) Section 31 (which deals with release on bail by members of the Garda Síochána) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1967 , shall cease to have effect in relation to a child.

Application of certain provisions to married child.

69. —In the application of this Part in relation to a child who is married—

(a) the references in sections 57, 58, 60(3), 61(7), 62 (except subsections (1)(b)(ii) and (2)(b)(ii)), 63, 65, 68(2) and 70(1)(b) to a parent or guardian of the child shall be construed as references to his or her spouse,

(b) the references in sections 58(2)(a), 60(3), 61(7), 63, 65 and 70(1)(b) to an adult relative of the child shall be construed as including references to his or her parent or guardian, and

(c) section 64 shall not have effect.

Regulations (Part 6).

70. —(1) Further provision may be made by regulations in relation to—

(a) the treatment of children while in custody in Garda Síochána stations,

(b) the role of a parent, guardian or adult relative of a child or another adult (including any representative of a health board) who is present in a Garda Síochána station pursuant to this Part while the child is in custody, and

(c) such other matters (if any) as may be necessary or expedient for the purpose of enabling this Part to have full effect and for its due administration.

(2) Pending the making of any regulations under subsection (1)(a), the references to seventeen years in Regulations 9 and 13 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 (Treatment of Persons in Custody in Garda Síochána Stations) Regulations, 1987, shall be construed and have effect as if they were references to eighteen years.