John Perry
Ceist:1025 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will make a statement on the case of a person (details supplied) in County Sligo. [2704/02]
Written Answers. - Court Procedures.
This person was committed to Mountjoy Prison on 2 January 2002 to serve a sentence for unlawfully importing a controlled drug.
The position is that the courts are completely independent in the exercise of their judicial functions. I have no function in relation to the verdicts of the courts, nor is it open to me to intervene in or comment in any way on the conduct of court proceedings which are entirely a matter for the courts. When passing sentence, the court had available to it all the relevant facts in relation to this case. In the circumstances it would be inappropriate of me to consider any mitigation of the sentence imposed by the court. Similarly, I am not prepared to authorise any form of temporary release at this very early stage of her sentence.