Top court to examine if people in witness protection have right to false birth certificates
The rights of people in the State’s witness protection programme will be examined by the Supreme Court as part of a family’s case seeking false birth certificates to align with their new identities.
A three-judge panel of the court said the appeal brought by the “Doe” family raises a “serious issue” about the rights of identity and equality of people protected under the programme, which has been in place since at least the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin in June 1996.
The court will consider whether the State is constitutionally obliged, or required under European human rights law, to provide protected witnesses with a new identity from birth in official documents.
The Doe family, whose new identities are concealed, signed up to the Garda-operated witness security programme due to continuing threats and harassment after they provided information to gardaí about the activities of a criminal gang.
The State had previously relocated the family within Ireland several…
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