DPP v Dunne

JurisdictionIreland
JudgeCarney J.
Judgment Date14 October 1994
Neutral Citation1994 WJSC-HC 2621
Docket Number[1994 No. 398 SS],398 SS/1994
CourtHigh Court
Date14 October 1994
DPP v. DUNNE
IN THE MATTER OF SECTION 2 OF THE COURTS (SUPPLEMENTAL
PROVISIONS) ACT, 1961

BETWEEN

THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS
COMPLAINANT

AND

HENRY DUNNE
DEFENDANT
CONSULTATIVE CASE STATED

1994 WJSC-HC 2621

398 SS/1994

THE HIGH COURT

Synopsis:

CONSTITUTION

Personal rights

Citizen - Dwelling - Inviolability - Garda - Entry - Authorisation - Search warrant - Validity - Contents - Alteration - Effect - Deletions - Inadvertence - (1994/398 SS - Carney J. - 14/10/94)

|Director of Public Prosecutions v. Dunne|

CRIMINAL LAW

Warrant

Issue - Validity - Drugs - Search - Garda - Authority - Standard form of warrant - Words deleted inadvertently - Citizen - Dwelling - Inviolability - Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977, s. 26 - Misuse of Drugs Act, 1984, s. 13 - Constitution of Ireland, 1937, Article 40 - (1994/398 SS - Carney J. - 14/10/94)

|Director of Public Prosecutions v. Dunne|

ORDER

Form

Contents - Alteration - Effect - Deletions - Inadvertence - Dwelling - Entry by garda - Search warrant - Whether valid authorisation - (1994/398 SS - Carney J. - 14/10/94)

|Director of Public Prosecutions v. Dunne|

Citations:

MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1977 S26

MISUSE OF DRUGS ACTS 1977 – 1984

MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1977 S26(1)

MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1977 S21(4)

MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1984 S6

MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1977 S26(2)

CONSTITUTION ART 40.5

1

Judgment delivered the 14th day of October 1994 by Carney J.

2

D. Garda Thomas P. Madden of the Drug Squad, Harcourt Square, Dublin on 29th of April 1992 sought to obtain a Warrant under Section 26 of the Misuse of Drugs Acts, 1977 and 1984 to search the premises 26 Rutland Avenue, Dolphin's Barn, in the City of Dublin.

3

The application for the Warrant was made to Mr. James Farrell, Peace Commissioner. D. Garda Madden was sworn and gave evidence on oath before the Peace Commissioner. The Peace Commissioner questioned D. Garda Madden in relation to his evidence and having done so, signed and issued the Search Warrant, a copy of which is annexed to the Case Stated. This he did under the provisions of Section 26(1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977 as amended, which is in the following terms:-

"If a Justice of the District Court or a Peace Commissioner is satisfied by information on oath of a member of the Garda Siochana that there is reasonable ground for suspecting that:"

(a) a person is in possession in contravention of this Act on any premises or other land of a controlled drug, a forged prescription or a duly issued prescription which has been wrongfully altered and that such drug or prescription is on a particular premises or other land, or ........ such Justice or Commissioner may issue a Search Warrant mentioned in subsection (2) of this section."

4

In reliance on the said Warrant D. Garda Madden and other police officers sought to carry out a search of the premises No. 26 Rutland Avenue, Dolphin's Barn in the City of Dublin, which is the dwellinghouse of the Defendant herein, Mr. Henry Dunne. The inviolability of Mr. Dunne's said dwellinghouse is protected by Article 40.5 of the Constitution which is in the following terms:-

"The dwelling of every citizen is inviolable and shall not be forcibly entered save in accordance with law."

5

Mr. Dunne did not...

To continue reading

Request your trial
32 cases
  • The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform v Ciaran Tobin (No. 1)
    • Ireland
    • High Court
    • 12 January 2007
    ...procedures". The Court has been referred by Mr Murray to the judgment of Carney J. in Director of Public Prosecutions v. Dunne [1994] 2 I.R. 537 where a search warrant was found to be incorrectly prepared and was found to be thereby invalidated. He has referred also to the judgment of McCa......
  • K (K) v Garda Eamonn Taaffe and Others
    • Ireland
    • High Court
    • 15 May 2009
    ...HARNETT 1998 4 IR 426 SWAINE v C 1964 IR 423 DPP v KEMMY 1980 1 IR 160 BYRNE v GREY 1988 1 IR 31 INTERPRETATION ACT 2005 S5 DPP v DUNNE 1994 2 IR 537 SIMPLE IMPORTS v REVENUE CMRS 2000 2 IR 243 MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1977 S26(1) MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1984 S13 DCR O.38 r6(3) DISTRICT COURT (C......
  • DPP v Edgeworth
    • Ireland
    • Supreme Court
    • 29 March 2001
    ...1977 S26 COURTS OF JUSTICE ACT 1924 S88 MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1977 S26(2) MISUSE OPF DRUGS ACT 1984 S13 CONSTITUTION ART 40.5 DPP V DUNNE 1994 2 IR 537 MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1977 S26(1)(a) MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1977 S26(1)(b) SIMPLE IMPORTS LTD V REVENUE COMMISSIONERS 2000 2 IR 243 Synopsis: Cr......
  • DPP v Mallon
    • Ireland
    • Court of Criminal Appeal
    • 3 March 2011
    ...Queen [1955] AC 197 and Mapp v Ohio (1961) 367 US 643 considered; Byrne v Grey [1988] IR 31, Director of Public Prosecutions v Dunne [1994] 2 IR 537, People (DPP) v Kenny [1990] 2 IR 110, Simple Imports Ltd v Revenue Commissioners [2000] 2 IR 243, People (DPP) v McGoldrick [2005] IECCA ......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
1 books & journal articles
  • The constitutional invalidity of warrantless drugs searches in South Africa
    • United Kingdom
    • Sage Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles No. 91-2, June 2018
    • 1 June 2018
    ...and shall not be forcibly entered save inaccordance with the law.’ In the earlier case of Director of Public Prosecutions vDunne[1994] 2 IR 537, Carney J referred to the inviolability of the home as ‘one of the mostimportant, clear and unqualified protections given by the Constitution to th......

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT