COMPULSORY video taping of garda interviews with crime suspects is being considered by the Garda, Mr Patrick Culligan, the former commissioner has revealed
In an interview, published yesterday in Garda News, Mr Culligan said many suspects declined to have their interviews video taped.
Equipment for videotaping of interviews, where the suspect's consent is required, has been available in two garda stations for the past two years but there has been relatively little success with the system.
Dublin detectives, who are acquainted with the videotaping scheme, say suspected criminals are less inclined to talk freely when the equipment is in use.
However, more senior gardai are concerned that confession evidence based only on notes taken contemporaneously by interviewing detectives is less compelling than video taped evidence in court.
Senior officers say privately that the publicity surrounding the Birmingham and Guildford miscarriages of justice damaged confession evidence based only on the word or notes taken by gardai to the extent that it is very difficult to secure convictions.
The former commissioner said: "We are finding, in the pilot areas where we have introduced video taping, that suspects in the main, object to their interviews being video taped.
"Therefore, a very small percentage of interviews are recorded. Indeed, because of this compulsory video taping is being considered."
He said there was also a need for a review of the rules on the suspect's right to silence and the laws governing the exclusion of certain evidence.