Launch of the Irish Méndez Centre for Investigative Interviewing
On Wednesday 18 September 2024, Professor Yvonne Daly of DCU School of Law and Government and Dr Alan Cusack of University of Limerick School Of Law launched the Irish Méndez Centre for Investigative Interviewing.
This Centre, which is jointly directed by Prof Daly and Dr Cusack, will act as an important hub to support those involved in investigative interviewing in policing and other contexts across Ireland. This is one of the first Méndez Centres to be launched internationally, under the auspices of the ImpleMendez COST Action. It has the support of Prof Juan Méndez, former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, whose work inspired the so-called "Mendez Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information-Gathering", which aim to transform investigative interviewing standards worldwide.
The launch event was attended by more than 80 people including representatives of agencies who conduct investigative interviewing in Ireland – An Garda Síochána (the police), the Corporate Enforcement Authority, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, the Central Bank, Revenue, Tusla (the Child and Family Agency); other related professionals – lawyers, interpreters, prosecutors, judges; policy-makers; and academics.
The President of DCU, Prof Daire Keogh, welcomed all present, commenting on the alignment of the ImpleMéndez COST Action with DCU’s mission to transform lives and societies.
The launch was then addressed by ImpleMéndez Chair Prof Dave Walsh (De Montfort, UK) and ImpleMéndez members Dr Ivar Fahsing (Norwegian Police University College) and Gisle Kvanvig (Norwegian Centre for Human Rights). A video-recorded message from Prof Juan Méndez was played, where he indicated his support for the development of this and other Méndez Centres within the ImpleMendez Action, and reflected on the importance of pressing for the implementation of the Méndez Principles worldwide.
The launch event was then addressed by the Irish Director of Public Prosecutions Catherine Pierse and the Police Ombudsman elect Emily Logan. They both noted the importance of the Méndez Principles and their value in promoting the rule of law. Inspector Brian Quirke from An Garda Síochána then spoke about investigative interviewing in the Irish police.
Finally, the co-directors of the Irish Méndez Centre, Prof Yvonne Daly and Dr Alan Cusack, gave an indication of the plans for the Centre into the future which include the creation of an online repository on investigative interviewing; an “Introduction to the Méndez Principles” workshop; a workshop for An Garda Síochána on interviewing child victims of serious crime; training for lawyers on the Méndez Principles and their role in upholding procedural and legal safeguards; and more.
The new book, Police Custody in Ireland, edited by Prof Daly, covers the topic of investigative interviewing in Ireland, along with other issues of note, including existing protections, rights, and entitlements, and experiences of specific communities in custody, such as children, ethnic minorities, non-English speakers, the Mincéir/Traveller community, and those with intellectual disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder. The book is available to read online, in full and for free.
