Latest news with #LawReformCommission
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Tanzania's Vision 2050 targets $1trln GDP growth
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has launched Tanzania's development blueprint, Vision 2050, targeting to achieve upper middle-income status by harnessing land, natural resources, demographic dividend and technology. Manufacturing, digital economy, climate adaptation and youth empowerment sit at the core of the plan, and the East African nation expects to become a regional industrial hub, with a strong and competitive economy, in the next 25 years. Implementation is set to start on July 1, 2026. Tanzania aims to use the plan to grow GDP from $85.98 billion in 2025 to $1 trillion by 2050. President Samia while launching the blueprint in the capital Dodoma, said the plan is expected to equip about 70 percent of Tanzanian citizens with digital skills with over 80 percent of government services delivered online. Other key economic sectors for development envisaged for implementation are political cohesion that would promote peace, unity, and strict leadership codes to drive an inclusive economy.'We are laying the foundation stone for the future of our people since Tanzania is rich in land and natural resources. Let us go and implement this vision in action, not just in words,' President Samia said. She then directed the Law Reform Commission, in collaboration with the Attorney-General's Office, to begin drafting legal reform proposals that will facilitate effective implementation of the Vision 2050. Planning and Investment minister, Prof Kitila Mkumbo, said the GDP per capita is expected to rise from the current $1,200 to $7,000 in the next 25 years. Officials target to raise the life expectancy for Tanzanians from the current 68 years to 75 years. Drafting of Vision 2050 began in April 2023, with a review this year. Vision 2025 focused mostly on infrastructure development. Tanzania's population is expected to double from 61 million to about 140 million by 2050, with over half of the population living in urban areas. At the launch, private sector representative industrialist Rostam Aziz criticised the government for seeking foreign firms to execute its strategic, big-ticket projects. Mr Aziz noted that large amounts of money had been paid out to foreign firms, mostly Chinese, to implement projects and pushed for local contractors to get some of those jobs to help empower the local population.'Tanzania excels in drafting plans, but we must fix our implementation. Let's support Tanzanian businesses, especially in access to capital,' he said. He further proposed the establishment of a $100 million annual Talent Development Fund to sponsor 1,000 Tanzanian youth in critical fields, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), data science and engineering. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Irish Independent
16-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
New compulsory purchase order laws ‘could reduce CPO by six months' and tackle vacant properties
Today, Mr Geoghegan will introduce legislation into the Dail reform Ireland's CPO system, which he says will accelerate housing delivery in Ireland. The Dublin Bay South TD said the current system was 'fragmented, outdated, and overly complex'. 'It causes unnecessary delays, inflates costs and slows down the very projects we urgently need – from new homes to vital infrastructure. That's why I'm introducing this Bill today,' Mr Geoghegan said. The legislation being brought forward would see clear definitions, timelines, and rules for notices and claims while also introducing advanced compensation payments of at least 90pc of the agreed or estimated value. There would also be defined time limits for compensation claims. According to Dublin City Council, the average CPO process takes at least 18 months, something the party's Dublin spokesperson said was 'not compatible' with the challenges the country faces in housing. 'In our bill, we expect that it would deliver it in 12 months. England and Wales, as they've sort of gone through the process, they've actually lowered it even to nine months,' Mr Geoghegan said. 'The CPO process has so many elements to it, and it's providing clear timelines at every element of that process. 'When you're notified that a CPO is going to take place, if you're a prospective landowner, what kind of compensation you're going to receive as a prospective land owner, it's tightening all of that up together so that you have a simpler, less bureaucratic process,' he added. The legislation is based on recommendations from the Law Reform Commission, which were published in 2023. ADVERTISEMENT Part of those recommendations was ensuring that those who own the properties under a CPO would get market value for those properties, Mr Geoghegan said. 'One of the things that the Law Reform Commission made clear when they carried out their research and when they published the bill was that they weren't getting into the domain of policy in terms of delivering up land prices below market value. 'You would get market value for the land. That's how it would be measured. That's what the bill would initiate, and would dictate,' he said. The Fine Gael TD said CPOs would be particularly important in tackling the vacant property crisis in Dublin. "Recent data shows over 12,000 residential and commercial units lie empty and shockingly, 40pc have been vacant for more than four years. 'These buildings could be transformed into badly needed homes and help make Dublin safer, livelier and more liveable,' Mr Geoghegan said.
Irish Times
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
‘Honest belief' of consent to sex may no longer be a defence in rape cases
An 'honest' belief that an alleged victim had consented to sex may no longer be a legal defence in rape cases if proposals being considered by the Government become law. The Department of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General are currently considering the proposal to significantly modify the State's consent laws. The planned reform is at advanced stage, has the backing of the Law Reform Commission and is a key part of the Government's plan to take action on consent laws. Under the proposal, an accused person could not be acquitted of rape if a court found that their belief that the alleged victim had consented was not an objectively reasonable belief. READ MORE Case law in the State indicates that an accused person could defend themselves from a rape charge by testifying that they honestly believed their accuser had consented to sex, even if that belief is not reasonable or rational. In 2016, the Supreme Court found, in the case of The People (DPP) v C O'R, that an 'honest, though unreasonable, mistake that the woman was consenting is a defence to rape'. It added that the belief must be 'genuinely held' by the accused. In 2017, the attorney general asked the Law Reform Commission to examine the issue. The 'honest belief' defence came under scrutiny as the Oireachtas was passing a 2017 law that clarified the circumstances under which a person could not legally consent to sex. These included when they were asleep, unconscious, incapacitated by drugs or alcohol, or consenting under the threat or use of force. The Law Reform Commission advised a change of the law to clarify that an accused person commits the crime of rape if he 'does not reasonably believe' the alleged victim was consenting. The Department of Justice is now progressing the planned reform with the Office of the Attorney General. It is one of a number of reforms of the way the criminal justice system handles rape and sexual assault allegations, which is a focus for Government officials in the wake of a scoping inquiry into historic abuse in schools. Last week, the Government announced a commission of inquiry into the handling of historic sexual abuse allegations in schools. Officials from a number of Government departments, who were tasked with writing a report on the recommendations of the scoping inquiry published last year, noted that the majority of survivors who detailed their experiences with the scoping inquiry 'had a negative, and in some cases, retraumatising, experience with the legal system'. [ Officials resist schools abuse redress scheme Opens in new window ] In a report published last week, the interdepartmental group added that a negative experience with the legal system 'may influence survivors' perspectives on participating in a future process such as a commission of investigation'. Survivors had called on the State to 'make the legal system more accessible and appropriate for victims of sexual crimes'.
Irish Examiner
10-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
'€100k stolen from dementia patient — but gaps in safeguarding law mean that gardaí cannot act'
A dementia sufferer had over €100,000 stolen from a bank account — but gardaí could not act because of gaps in safeguarding legislation, the Oireachtas has been told. The victim had no capacity to report the crime and agencies representing vulnerable people have told of the 'absolute nightmare' of trying to force action in such cases. The Irish Association of Social Workers and Safeguarding Ireland have warned of widespread neglect and financial abuse of people with disabilities and debilitating conditions. Safeguarding Ireland chairwoman Patricia Rickard-Clarke pointed out that it is over a year since the Law Reform Commission published recommendations to plug gaps in legislation but that change has not been forthcoming. Safeguarding Ireland chairwoman Patricia Rickard-Clarke said much of the abuse happens within families, especially financial abuse, with little oversight of who draws down state payments such as pensions. File picture The Law Reform Commission had proposed draft safeguarding legislation and pointed to the need for the establishment of an adult safeguarding authority to represent vulnerable people. Ms Rickard-Clarke emphasised that much of the abuse happens within families, especially financial abuse, with little oversight of who draws down state payments such as pensions. Fine Gael Cork North Central TD Colm Burke raised the plight of an elderly constituent. 'There was over €100,000 taken in a 12-month time period. And when I filed a full complaint with the gardaí they were not able to take action because he [the victim] would not be able to give evidence,' said the TD. Safeguarding Ireland board member Mervyn Taylor emphasised that situations like this are 'hugely familiar', saying that gardaí are often not trained to handle such cases. 'An Garda Síochána, as far as I'm aware, don't have a safeguarding policy developed as yet,' he said. Ms Rickard-Clarke said: 'The closed nature of nursing homes makes it exceptionally challenging for either residents or staff to speak up and report abuse or inappropriate care.' Sarah Donnelly, associate professor of social work at University College Dublin, and an adult safeguarding advisor at the Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW), called for awareness of different forms of abuse. 'Our very chequered past history, in terms of Emily, Grace, Brandon, and RTÉ Investigates, is clear evidence that often poor care is constructed as not being institutional abuse,' she said, referring to recent scandals. She told senator Nicole Ryan that low staffing levels and bad pay for carers are the 'elephant in the room' in discussing reforms. Ms Donnelly echoed calls from all speakers for a single authority to oversee adult safeguarding. 'It's an absolute nightmare sometimes, even as a social worker in practice, trying to orientate who you should contact,' she said. IASW chief operations officer Caroline Walker Strong queried why nursing home residents are disconnected from outlets such as the GAA and public libraries: 'In other jurisdictions, the connection between residents and their local communities are nurtured,' she said. In response to Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane, the groups said there is some disagreement over how broad mandatory reporting of abuse should be. They agreed with Law Reform Commission recommendations for specified actions when matters arise. Read More Terry Prone: Abuse of nursing home patients has been going on for decades
The Guardian
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
While friends were partying, Conor was preparing for court. His case has now prompted Labor to act on family violence
When Conor Pall turned 18, he should have been studying for his Year 12 exams. Instead, he was preparing for court. In January 2021, his mother had successfully applied for a family violence intervention order (FVIO) protecting them both. But when Pall became a legal adult in June, that protection no longer applied to him – a fact he only learned when he tried to report a breach of the order to police. That order has since expired. To stay safe, Pall had to start the process again, this time as an applicant, all while juggling the pressures of school. 'While my friends were planning for parties and when I should've been studying, getting ready for Year 12 exams, I was briefing a barrister,' Pall says. It was a stark shift from months earlier, at 17, when he supported his mother in court but was dismissed because of his age. 'The magistrate looked at me and asked how old I was, and I replied I was 17. His response was, 'A courtroom isn't a place for kids' and he asked me to leave,' Pall says. 'How ironic that I had to attend court when I turned 18 – by myself – just five months later. What had changed? 'I didn't age out of fear, I didn't age out of risk. I was still so scared of the perpetrator.' Pall wrote to the Victorian government in early 2022 urging changes to the law. His letter has now prompted action, with Labor confirming to Guardian Australia it will introduce legislation to parliament later this year to prevent 'ageing out' of FVIOs. The Victorian Law Reform Commission is already examining the issue, with a report due in July. But the attorney general, Sonya Kilkenny, says reforms will proceed regardless of its findings. 'Having listened to people like Conor, it's a really compelling case about why change is needed,' she says. There are 'thousands and thousands of children' who are party to a family violence intervention order, but the law is 'not clear about what happens to them when they turn 18', Kilkenny says. 'That creates a heightened level of uncertainty and anxiety about what that means for them when they turn 18. Are they protected or aren't they? Do they have to go back to court, on their own, in circumstances that can be really traumatising?' Current legislation is 'silent' on the issue, leaving it to magistrates' interpretation, and Kilkenny says reforms will provide certainty by making it clear an FVIO continues to protect a person after they turn 18 until it lapses. The new legislation will also close loopholes allowing alleged perpetrators to avoid being served, including while in custody, and allow Victoria to issue FVIOs even if violence occurred interstate, helping victim-survivors in border towns or those who moved for safety reasons. Kilkenny also confirmed a default two-year length for FVIOs will be introduced, bringing Victoria into line with the ACT, New South Wales and Western Australia. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The bill, which is guaranteed to pass the lower house but will require the support of the Coalition opposition or members of the crossbench in the upper house, will also include long-awaited changes to stalking laws. The reforms were first proposed as part of a broader women's safety package announced in 2024 and at the time some experts warned changes to FVIOs could worsen outcomes for victims misidentified as perpetrators. Kilkenny says that following consultation, the legislation will include safeguards to prevent misidentification when courts issue FVIOs and when police issue interim family violence safety notices – with the latter more prone to error. Family violence continues to surge in Victoria. In 2024, police recorded 104,786 family violence incidents, an 11.3% increase on the previous year. There were also 61,522 breaches of FVIOs. Pall has welcomed the reforms, but also called for more support to help victims 'heal and recover', noting his experience with the justice system left a lasting impact. 'I started drinking. I was diagnosed with PTSD. I was suicidal – not just because of the perpetrator's abuse but because of the system's inability to recognise me as a victim in my own right,' he says. 'It's a system that wasn't designed with adult victim-survivors in mind, let alone children and young people.' In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women's Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via
