Roche condemns ‘barbaric’ execution

Dick Roche TD, Minister for European Affairs, today, Friday 18th June, described as ‘barbaric’ the execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner, a convicted murderer was executed by a firing squad in Utah State Prison in Draper this morning.

Gardner was the first person in 14 years to be put to death by firing squad in the US in 14 years ago. Gardner opted to die by firing squad rather than by lethal injection. In1985, Gardner shot and killed a lawyer called Michael Burdell at Salt Lake City's central courthouse where Gardner was due to stand trial for an earlier murder. Members of Burdell's family opposed the execution.

“A constitutional ban on the death penalty was introduced in Ireland by the 21st Amendment of the Constitution. The amendment was carried in a referendum held on 7th June 2001 when over 62% of the Irish people who voted supported abolition of the death penalty. The last execution in the Republic occurred in 1954 when Michael Manning was hanged for murder. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU that came into effect with Ireland’s ratification of the Lisbon Treaty prohibits the death penalty” said Minister Roche.

As a former UN Human Rights Fellow and Chairman of the Irish Commission for justice and Peace Minister Roche has been a long time opponent of the death penalty.