The Dáil is to sit late tonight to pass emergency legislation in order to reclassify certain drugs, including ecstasy, as illegal following a court ruling this morning.
A ruling in the Court of Appeal on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 this morning effectively means that certain drugs that had been declared illegal are currently legal.
The ruling found that the 1977 Act was being added to via regulations without recourse to the Oireachtas, in violation of article 15 of the Constitution.
It’s believed the drugs affected by the ruling, and which are currently legal as a result, include so-called head shop drugs such as Methylcathinone, which is also known as ‘cat’ or ‘jeff’, as well as ecstasy, ketamine and crystal meth.
This means that TDs must pass emergency legislation tonight in order to make these drugs illegal again. The bill will then go to the Seanad tomorrow.
The new bill includes a provision that says it can only take effect on the day after it’s signed into law, meaning that the law will not come into force until 12am on Thursday.
Source: Hugh O'Connell, thejournal.ie, 10/03/15
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