And finally… Ireland legalises drugs

A Court of Appeal ruling found a section of drug legislation to be unconstitutional – effectively legalising certain substances.

While the emergency laws have been passed by the parliament’s lower house, they must be ratified by the Senate and then signed into law by Irish president Michael D Higgins.

That is expected to be done soon but the law would only take effect from midnight tomorrow – making the drugs legal for over 36 hours.

The drugs include “benzos”, or benzodiazepines as well as legal highs.

A memorandum for the new law provides: “All substances controlled by means of Government Orders made under section 2(2) cease to be controlled with immediate effect, and their possession ceases to be an offence.”

Other drugs, including heroin, cocaine and cannabis are not banned under separate legislation and are not affected by the court’s ruling.

In the case leading to this situation, Stanislav Baderev, was prosecuted for possession of methylethcathinone, which was proscribed in 2010.

However, Mr Baderev denied having the substance in 2012 and challenged as unconstitutional the way in which the government added drugs to its blacklist.

His lawyers were successful in arguing the decision to ban a drug should be considered by the Irish parliament before a minister confirmed the ban.