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Stand-alone offence of stalking now in effect

Several measures that target violent and organised crime, as well as domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, come into effect from today (1 November).

This follows the commencement of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee (pictured).

The legislation includes a range of new criminal offences, as well as tougher sentences for some existing offences.

Harassment offence widened

The key measures include:

• The maximum sentence for assault causing harm, a common offence in domestic abuse cases as well as in other assaults, increases from five years to ten years,
• The scope of the existing harassment offence is widened to include any conduct that seriously interferes with a person’s peace and privacy, or causes alarm, distress or harm,
• A new stand-alone offence of stalking, with a maximum sentence of up to ten years, is created,
• A stand-alone offence of non-fatal strangulation or non-fatal suffocation with a maximum sentence of up to ten years, and a stand-alone offence of non-fatal strangulation or non-fatal suffocation causing serious harm with a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment,
• The maximum sentence for assaulting or threatening to assault a garda or other on-duty emergency workers increases from seven to 12 years,
• The maximum sentence for conspiracy to murder increases from the current penalty of ten years to life imprisonment.