This is probably the best news to come out of Ireland in a while, and if I was a trance-party joller I would be as happy as a pig in…

Ireland’s Court of Appeal found that “a section of the country’s current drug legislation was unconstitutional” and have been trying to find a way to rectify the situation since Tuesday night. They have since passed emergency drug laws, but the process is going to take a good 24 hours.

The emergency legislation was passed by the lower house of the parliament, but must be ratified by the Senate and then signed into law by the President Michael D. Higgins.
That is expected to be completed within 24 hours, but would only come into force from midnight on Thursday, meaning the drugs are effectively legal for a period of more than 36 hours between the court ruling and the emergency laws taking effect.

Right, kids. I’m thinking a quick Afrikaburn practice round?

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.

These drugs include ecstasy, ketamine, benzodiazepines and “legal highs”. Unfortunately for some, heroin, cocaine and cannabis are under a different law, so they’re still illegal.

This whole debacle came to light when a man was in court for possession of methylethcathinone, a drug added to the controlled drugs list in 2010. His lawyer has succesfully argued that “the way the government went about adding drugs to the banned list was unconstitutional”.

It seems to have opened up a whole new can of worms, too – “The ruling also raises questions about criminal prosecutions stretching back almost 40 years under the previous law”.

Oops, Ireland.

[Source: Sky News]