Number 7 of 1972

PRISONS ACT, 1972

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Number 7 of 1972

PRISONS ACT, 1972

Definition.

1.—In this Act “the Minister” means the Minister for Justice.

Transfer to military custody.

2.—(1) This section shall continue in operation until the 31st day of May, 1974.

(2) If and whenever Dáil Éireann is satisfied that this section should cease to be in operation, it may, by resolution, declare that it is satisfied as aforesaid and appoint a day on which this section shall cease to be in operation, and on the day so appointed this section shall cease to be in operation.

(3) If and whenever, at a time when this section is in operation, the Minister is of opinion that prison accommodation or prison staff is insufficient to provide secure and reasonable conditions of custody for all persons then in custody in prison or for whom prison accommodation is required or is insufficient to provide such conditions without serious detriment to the maintenance in prisons of the normal arrangements for the rehabilitative treatment and welfare of prisoners he may, in writing—

(a) certify that he is so of opinion, and

(b) direct the transfer to military custody of such of the persons aforesaid as are specified by him,

and thereupon the persons so specified shall be transferred to military custody and shall remain in such custody until—

(i) in the case of persons on remand, they are brought before the court to which they were remanded,

(ii) in the case of persons sent forward for trial or sentence, they are brought before the court to which they were sent forward and the proceedings in relation to the trial or sentence have concluded, and

(iii) in any other case, their sentences or other periods of custody have terminated.

(4) If and whenever, at a time when this section is in operation, a person on remand or sent forward for trial or sentence is in military custody pursuant to this section, a court that further remands him in custody or a court that sends him forward in custody for trial or sentence or a court that sentences him to be detained in custody in prison shall commit him to military custody for the period of such remand, sending forward or sentence.

(5) The Minister—

(a) may, at any time, direct the transfer to a prison of a person in military custody pursuant to this section, and

(b) shall direct the transfer to a prison of all persons in military custody as aforesaid if he is of opinion that circumstances warranting their being retained in military custody no longer obtain,

and, if a direction under this subsection is given, thereupon any person concerned shall be transferred to a prison.

(6) Where a direction is given under subsection (3) or (5) of this section, a statement specifying the giving thereof and the names, the offences (or the offences with which they are charged) and, where appropriate, the sentences of the persons concerned shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be.

(7) A person who is in military custody pursuant to this section shall not continue to be kept in military custody when this section ceases to be in operation.

(8) The Prisons (Visiting Committees) Act, 1925, shall apply to places in which persons are kept in military custody pursuant to this section in the same way as it applies to prisons, subject to the modification that references to the Minister in that Act shall be construed as references to the Minister for Defence.

(9) The Minister for Defence shall make regulations in relation to the places and the manner generally in which persons in military custody pursuant to this section shall be kept in custody and such regulations shall correspond to the rules for the time being in force under the Prisons Acts, 1826 to 1970, governing the treatment, employment and control of persons in prison.

(10) Nothing in this section shall operate to prevent the release of a person on bail.

(11) Every regulation under this section shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made, and, if a resolution annulling the regulation is passed by either such House within the next twenty-one days on which that House has sat after the regulation has been laid before it, the regulation shall be annulled accordingly, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder.

(12) In this section “prison” includes Saint Patrick's Institution (within the meaning of the Criminal Justice Act, 1960).

Specifying of prisons.

3.—The Minister may from time to time specify a place or places to be used as a prison or prisons and each place so specified shall be a prison to which the Prisons Acts, 1826 to 1970, apply.

Short title, collective citation and construction.

4.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Prisons Act, 1972.

(2) The Prisons Acts, 1826 to 1970, and this Act may be cited together as the Prisons Acts, 1826 to 1972, and shall be construed as one.

Uimhir 7 de 1972

ACHT NA bPRÍOSÚN, 1972

[An tiontú oifigiúil]

Míniú.

1.—San Acht seo ciallaíonn “an tAire” an tAire Dlí agus Cirt.

Aistriú go coimeád míleata.

1925, Uimh. 11.

1960, Uimh, 27.

2.—(1) Leanfaidh an t-alt seo i ngníomh go dtí an 31ú lá de Bhealtaine, 1974.

(2) Má tharlaíonn agus cibé uair a tharlóidh go mbeidh Dáil Éireann sásta gur chóir don alt seo scor de bheith i ngníomh féadfaidh sí, trí rún, a dhearbhú go bhfuil sí sásta mar a dúradh agus lá a cheapadh ar a scoirfidh an t-alt seo de bheith i ngníomh, agus ar an lá a cheapfar amhlaidh scoirfidh an t-alt seo de bheith i ngníomh.

(3) Má tharlaíonn agus cibé uair a tharlóidh, le linn don alt seo a bheith i ngníomh, gur dóigh leis an Aire nach leor cóiríocht phríosúin nó foireann phríosúin chun dálaí slána réasúnacha coimeádta a chur ar fáil do na daoine go léir a bheidh an tráth sin faoi choimeád i bpríosún nó a mbeidh cóiríocht phríosúin ag teastáil dóibh nó nach leor an céanna chun na dálaí sin a chur ar fáil gan mórdhochar do na gnáthshocruithe a chothabháil i bpríosún le haghaidh cóireála athinmheachain agus leasa príosúnach féadfaidh sé, i scríbhinn—

(a) a dheimhniú gur dóigh leis amhlaidh, agus

(b) a ordú go n-aistreofar go coimeád míleata cibé cuid de na daoine a dúradh a shonróidh sé,

agus air sin déanfar na daoine a shonrófar amhlaidh a aistriú go coimeád míleata agus fanfaidh siad sa choimeád sin—

(i) i gcás daoine a bheidh ar athchur, go dtí go dtabharfar iad os comhair na cúirte ar chuici a rinneadh iad a athchur,

(ii) i gcás daoine a bheidh curtha ar aghaidh chun trialach nó pianbhreithe, go dtí go dtabharfar iad os comhair na cúirte ar chuici a cuireadh ar aghaidh iad agus go mbeidh na himeachtaí maidir leis an triail nó leis an bpianbhreith críochnaithe, agus

(iii) in aon chás eile, go dtí go mbeidh deireadh lena bpianbhreitheanna nó lena dtréimhsí eile coimeádta.

(4) Má tharlaíonn agus cibé uair a tharlóidh, le linn don alt seo a bheith i ngníomh, go mbeidh duine faoi choimeád míleata de bhun an ailt seo is duine a bheidh ar athchur nó a bheidh curtha ar aghaidh chun trialach nó pianbhreithe, déanfaidh cúirt a athchuirfidh tuilleadh é faoi choimeád nó déanfaidh cúirt a chuirfidh ar aghaidh é faoi choimeád chun trialach nó pianbhreithe nó déanfaidh cúirt a chuirfidh de phianbhreith air é a choinneáil faoi choimeád i bpríosún é a chimiú faoi choimeád míleata i gcaitheamh tréimhse an athchuir, an churtha ar aghaidh nó na pianbhreithe sin.

(5) (a) Féadfaidh an tAire, tráth ar bith, a ordú go n-aistreofar go príosún duine a bheidh i gcoimeád míleata de bhun an ailt seo, agus

(b) ordóidh an tAire go n-aistreofar go príosún gach duine a bheidh i gcoimeád míleata mar a dúradh más dóigh leis nach ann a thuilleadh do na himthosca a thug iad a bheith á gcoinneáil i gcoimeád míleata,

agus, má thugtar ordú faoin bhfo-alt seo, déanfar air sin aon duine lena mbaineann a aistriú go príosún.

(6) I gcás ina dtabharfar ordú faoi fho-alt (3) nó (5) den alt seo, leagfar faoi bhráid gach Tí den Oireachtas a luaithe is féidir ráiteas ina sonrófar gur tugadh sin mar aon le hainmneacha, cionta (nó na cionta inar cúisíodh iad) agus, i gcás inar iomchuí sin, pianbhreitheanna na ndaoine lena mbaineann.

(7) Duine ar bith a bheidh i gcoimeád míleata de bhun an ailt seo ní leanfaidh sé de bheith á choinneáil i gcoimeád míleata ar an alt seo do scor de bheith i ngníomh.

(8) Beidh feidhm ag Acht na bPríosún (Coistí Cuairte), 1925, maidir le háiteanna ina mbeidh daoine á gcoinneáil i gcoimeád míleata de bhun an ailt seo sa tslí chéanna ina bhfuil feidhm aige maidir le príosúin, faoi réir an mhodhnaithe go ndéanfar tagairtí don Aire san Acht sin a fhorléiriú mar thagairtí don Aire Cosanta.

(9) Déanfaidh an tAire Cosanta rialacháin maidir leis na háiteanna agus leis an modh go ginearálta ina ndéanfar daoine a bheidh i gcoimeád míleata de bhun an ailt seo a choinneáil i gcoimeád agus beidh na rialacháin sin ar comhréir leis na rialacha a bheidh i bhfeidhm de thuras na huaire faoi Achtanna na bPríosún, 1826 go 1970, do rialú cóireáil, fostú agus rialáil daoine i bpríosún.

(10) Ní oibreoidh aon ní san alt seo chun cosc a chur le duine a scaoileadh amach ar bhannaí.

(11) Déanfar gach rialachán faoin alt seo a leagan faoi bhráid gach Tí den Oireachtas a luaithe is féidir tar éis a dhéanta agus má dhéanann ceachtar Teach acu sin, laistigh den lá agus fiche a shuífidh an Teach sin tar éis an rialachán a leagan faoina bhráid, rún a rith ag neamhniú an rialacháin, beidh an rialachán ar neamhní dá réir sin ach sin gan dochar do bhailíocht aon ní a rinneadh roimhe sin faoin rialachán sin.

(12) San alt seo folaíonn “priosún” Foras Naomh Pádraig (de réir brí an Achta um Dhlínse Choiriúil, 1960).

Príosúin a shonrú.

3.—Féadfaidh an tAire ó am go ham áit nó áiteanna a shonrú le húsáid mar phríosún nó mar phríosúin agus beidh gach áit a shonrófar amhlaidh ina phríosún lena mbaineann Achtanna na bPríosún, 1826 go 1970.

Gearrtheideal, comhlua agus forléiriú.

4.—(1) Féadfar Acht na bPríosún, 1972, a ghairm den Acht seo.

(2) Féadfar Achtanna na bPríosún, 1826 go 1972, a ghairm d'Achtanna na bPríosún, 1826 go 1970, agus den Acht seo le chéile agus forléireofar iad mar aon ní amháin.