The Attorney General has asked the Law Reform Commission to consider, as a matter of urgency, a reform of the law to allow the DPP to appeal sentences imposed by the District Court.
At the moment the DPP may only appeal against leniency of sentence in the Circuit Criminal or Central Criminal Courts.
The matter arose recently in the Tim Allen case, when it emerged that the DPP could not appeal the sentence imposed. He was sentenced to 240 hours' community service and asked to contribute €40,000 to the court poor box. There was widespread public outcry, and suggestions that the sentence was unduly lenient because of Allen's wealth and the size of his contribution.
Changes in the law to allow the DPP to appeal District Court sentences were promised in the Programme for Government, and this promise was reiterated by the Tánaiste following the Allen case.