WORLD FACTBOOK OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS REPUBLIC OF IRELAND Ken Pease and Gemma Cox University of Manchester This country report is one of many prepared for the World Factbook of Criminal Justice Systems under Bureau of Justice Statistics grant No. 90-BJ-CX-0002 to the State University of New York at Albany. The project director was Graeme R. Newman, but responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained in each report is that of the individual author. The contents of these reports do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Bureau of Justice Statistics or the U. S. Department of Justice. GENERAL OVERVIEW I. Political System. According to the Irish Constitution there is a tripartite division of power: legislative, executive and judicial. Legislative power consists of the power to make laws. This power is held by the Oireachtas, comprised of a President elected by direct vote of the people, the Seanad (upper house) and the Dail (lower house) elected by proportional representation. As an elected body, the Constitution gives the Dail the most power, while the Seanad is only in a position to disrupt or delay the passing of a Bill. Therefore, the Oireachtas has the power to enact unlimited laws except those which offend any provision of the Constitution. Since the Constitution is the superior law, a referendum must be passed to change it. The government (cabinet) has executive power and thus is entrusted with carrying laws into effect. Judicial power, or the power to administer justice, is reserved to the courts. Judges are appointed by the President and are independent in exercising the power of their judicial functions. They can guard against any intervention from legislators or executives. Judges can only be removed from office for any stated misbehavior and only then by resolution passed by the Oireachtas and signed by the