Garda Sergeant Promotion key terms

The formal rules governing how alleged breaches of conduct by members of An Garda Síochána are investigated, processed and sanctioned, including the categories of minor and major breaches and the role of designated officers.

A streamlined disciplinary process used for less serious alleged breaches, conducted by an authorised officer who gathers evidence and may impose a limited range of sanctions without a full formal inquiry.

A formal disciplinary hearing convened to examine serious alleged breaches of conduct, at which evidence is presented and findings and sanctions are determined under the discipline regulations.

The published statement of the core values and standards of conduct expected of all members, covering honesty, integrity, respect for human rights and accountability in the exercise of police powers.

A factual basis that would lead an ordinary, prudent and cautious person to believe something is probably true; it is the threshold justifying many police actions such as arrest or search.

A belief grounded in objective facts rather than mere speculation or intuition, sufficient to justify certain investigative steps but falling short of the reasonable grounds needed for arrest.

The power to take a person into custody without prior judicial authorisation, available where a member reasonably suspects the person has committed or is committing an arrestable offence.

The lawful holding of a person in custody at a Garda station following arrest, subject to strict statutory time limits, periodic review and specific rights for the detained person.

The formal warning administered before questioning a suspect, informing them they are not obliged to say anything but that anything said may be taken down and used in evidence.

The entitlement of a suspect not to answer questions during interview, protected by the caution, though adverse inferences may in limited circumstances be drawn from certain failures to account.

The entitlement of a detained person to consult privately with a solicitor and to have the solicitor present during interview, subject to narrowly defined statutory postponement grounds.

The official written log maintained at a station recording the times of arrest, arrival, meals, visits, interviews, reviews and release of a detained person, essential for demonstrating lawful custody.

A written authorisation issued by a judge or other designated authority permitting members to enter and search specified premises for stated items, on sworn information showing reasonable grounds.

The documented, unbroken record of who handled an exhibit and when, from seizure through storage to court, used to demonstrate that the item has not been altered or contaminated.

Any physical item lawfully seized or produced for use as evidence in a criminal matter, which must be recorded, labelled, stored securely and accounted for throughout the proceedings.

Independent evidence that supports and strengthens other evidence, tending to confirm a witness account or admission and thereby increasing the weight the court may attach to it.

A statement made outside court by a person not giving live evidence, offered to prove the truth of its contents, which is generally inadmissible subject to recognised exceptions.

The quality of evidence being legally acceptable for the court to consider, determined by relevance, reliability and compliance with rules on how the evidence was obtained.

The mental element of an offence, meaning the intention, knowledge or recklessness that must be proved alongside the prohibited act before a person can be convicted.

The external physical element of an offence, comprising the prohibited conduct, circumstances and consequences that the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt.

The legal responsibility of a person for an offence, established when the prohibited act and required mental element are proven and no defence applies.

An argument that a person's state of intoxication negated the mental element required for an offence, potentially reducing or excluding criminal liability in limited circumstances.

The statutory power to require breath, blood or urine testing from drivers involved in certain incidents or suspected of driving offences, with refusal itself constituting an offence.

A written notice offering an alleged offender the opportunity to pay a prescribed penalty instead of facing prosecution for certain road traffic and other minor offences.

Points recorded against a driver's licence on conviction or acceptance of a fixed charge for specified offences, accumulating toward automatic disqualification at the statutory threshold.

A court-imposed or administratively triggered order removing a person's entitlement to drive for a specified period, breach of which is a criminal offence.

An offence involving threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in a public place likely to cause a breach of the peace, or related conduct such as disorderly conduct while intoxicated.

Conduct that harms or threatens harm to persons or property or puts people in fear, such that a member may intervene to prevent escalation and restore order.

The structured system by which a designated member takes charge of a scene or operation, sets objectives, allocates resources and coordinates agencies under a clear chain of command.

A written document for a policing operation setting out objectives, intelligence, resource deployment, command structure, contingencies and communications arrangements before an event.

The application of physical or other coercive measures by a member, which must be lawful, necessary and proportionate to the circumstances and subject to recording and review.

The principle that any interference with rights or use of coercive power must be no more than is necessary to achieve a legitimate aim, balancing means against the harm addressed.

The requirement that an action restricting rights be taken only where it is genuinely required to pursue a legitimate objective and no less intrusive alternative would suffice.

The obligation on public bodies, including An Garda Síochána, to act compatibly with protected Convention rights and to interpret powers consistently with those rights.

The protected characteristics such as gender, civil status, family status, age, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation and membership of the Traveller community, discrimination on which is prohibited.

Information relating to an identified or identifiable living individual, the processing of which is governed by data protection law and requires a lawful basis.

The principle that only personal data adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for the stated purpose should be collected and retained.

A request by an individual to be given access to personal data held about them, which must be handled within statutory timeframes subject to defined exemptions.

The defined length of time records containing personal data may lawfully be kept before review, deletion or archiving, set by policy or statute according to purpose.

The structured communication by a supervisor to members before a task, conveying objectives, intelligence, roles, risks and welfare considerations to ensure shared understanding.

The continuous supervisory process of setting expectations, monitoring work, giving feedback and addressing underperformance or developing capability through agreed plans.

The planned, two-way interaction between members and local communities to build trust, share information and co-produce solutions to local safety concerns.

Collaboration between An Garda Síochána and other public, voluntary or private bodies to address shared problems such as harm, vulnerability or antisocial behaviour through coordinated responses.

The lawful exchange of relevant information between agencies for specified purposes, governed by data protection law, necessity, proportionality and confidentiality obligations.