Sir, – The complaint by the Minister for Employment against a person who wrote about her on social media is reported in the media as being a complaint "under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997" ("Blogger considers legal action over Garda caution at airport", July 7th).
When a person complains to Garda about the behaviour of a third party, the complaint is not “under” any Act. The complaint is made on the basis of behaviour that is deemed by the complainant to be unacceptable, and it is any subsequent prosecution in the courts, decided on by the Director of Public Prosecutions, that is carried out under the Act.
I hope that even a member of the Government cannot instruct the Garda and the DPP as to which Act they should use when prosecuting an individual. – Yours, etc,
GARRY BURY,
Dalkey, Co Dublin.