New Irish self defence laws

[Weebl]

The Irish have passed a new home defence law which specifically gives a home owner the ability to act in defence of his property, and specifically allows him to stand his ground in his own home when retreat would be an option.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0719/homedefence.html

This differs widely with our own rather weak laws which give no ability to act in defence of property and IIRC, if you have the option of running away from a burglar in your own home, or standing up to him and getting physical, you are legally obliged to run away.

Personally this sounds eminently sensible to me, yes, I can imagine up a few scenarios where a home owner may end up more injured than he otherwise would have, but I can think up quite a few more plausible scenarios where Mr Burglar gets walloped and nicked rather than getting away with it yet again.

I would love this kind of law in our country. Opinions?

 

[grumpyoldb]

Can't see it happening here. We're to concerned with the health and safety of the burglar.

 

[R_Squared]

Either that, or the burglar will come tooled up with gaffer tape and a tyre iron and hit you round the head whilst you sleep.

Something along the lines of the "home invasions" they have in the States.

Be interesting to see how it trots out over there.

 

[Inevertouchedit]

I thought this was going to be the start of a bad joke !!

 

[Weebl]

Either that, or the burglar will come tooled up with gaffer tape and a tyre iron and hit you round the head whilst you sleep.

Something along the lines of the "home invasions" they have in the States.

Be interesting to see how it trots out over there.

Quite possibly, but then they are immediately escalating burglary into aggravated burglary before they have even started, I think the differences in the tariffs applied by the courts are quite a bit steeper.

I don't see this as making much difference in the majority of cases, just the odd one where Mr home-owner wakes up while being robbed and clumps the bloke with a cricket bat, then goes to prison for assault. I have always felt that to be completely ridiculous. If somebody breaks into a home, IMO they forfeit all rights to protection by the law up to but NOT including pre meditated murder.

If I woke and some bloke was in my home, with my wife and kids asleep in it, I would happily clatter him with whatever came to hand. To be fair I would have to race my dogs to see who could get stuck in first but that's besides the point. Currently I would have to prove I was in fear for my or my families life or I would be a good candidate for being nicked. I find that ridiculous, that somebody is already breaking the law and showing scant regard for my wellbeing by breaking in should cover the self defence issue as it is.

To be honest it would be a brave burglar who broke into my house, but I find it interesting all the same.

 

[Inevertouchedit]

As the old joke goes: Do you know what happened to the bloke I caught breaking into my house 3 yrs ago??

Neither does anyone else.....