METRO FREE Friday, December 4, 2009 HELP METRO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT. RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER TODAY INSIDE TODAY See Page 8 Future is looking bright for Grimm Irish granny film Pages 14-15 PLUS MetroLife at the movies A leAding crime and policing academic yes- terday claimed An garda Sochna was one of the most secretive police forces in the liberal Western world. Professor dermot Walsh told senior garda and justice experts there was still a lack of transpar- ency. At a conference in the University of limer- ick, the criminal law expert said the garda had retained an institutional approach to secrecy. For as long as such basic information [as standing orders covering all aspects of garda management and practices] is kept secret, trans- parent governance and accountability will remain elusive and the garda will continue to be one of the most secretive police forces in the Western world, said Prof Walsh The garda have made significant progress in terms of reform but some of these are in danger of being nothing more than paper reforms. Prof Walsh, who organised the Police govern- ance and Accountability: Challenges and Out- look conference, said he had issues with the con- fidential garda Code, how individual garda use their discretion and the Freedom of information law, which does not apply to the force. Pointing to the garda Code, he said: its effec- tively the bible for the garda and it is confidential and theres no reason for it to be confidential. Prof Walsh, director of the Centre for Criminal Justice at Ul, said Judge Frederick Morris, who oversaw the tribunal into garda corruption in donegal, warned of a similar secrecy with rules on informers. That was a highly secretive docu- ment, he said. There was no reason why most of it should be confidential. its of benefit to no-one. A lack of Continued on Page 2 BY ED CARTY Garda are like secret police Michelle Cunningham is one of a wave of blue climate change activists taking part in Stop Climate Chaos event The Wave, an international public demonstration against climate change ahead of crucial global climate talks which start in Copenhagen on Monday. Simultaneous marches will take place in Dublin, Paris, London, Glasgow, Belfast, Brussels and Berlin at noon tomorrow CATCH THE WAVE Tigers lover keeps quietSee Page 3 index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html