36 thoughts on “It’s Just Been Revoked

      1. postmanpat

        I once saw a couple of diplomat brats speeding up and down the main road in Phoenix Park in loud revved up sportscar while the police ignored them. I mean I know they can get away with running over a pedestrian and not face prosecution for manslaughter but shouldn’t the police , like, try and stop that in the first place? Too much hard work probably.

  1. Cian

    How far does diplomatic immunity go? Is there not an onus on the diplomats to respect the laws of the country or at least not openly flout them?

    1. Rob_G

      Covers everything up to (and occasionally including) slavery – there have been many, many cases of exploitation of domestic workers in embassy residences. The occasional murder.

      Hard to draw the line – it like to you and I that the diplomat is just parking wherever they feel like while they pop into Donnybrook Fair, but they could make the case that they have an important meeting later on and couldn’t be delayed.

      1. Cian

        I realise that – and there is a similar rational to prevent the Guards from stopping TDs on their way to the Dáil.
        But (IMO) unless a diplomat is going to/from an official meeting with an Irish official then they should follow the same laws as we do. I see diplomats using the bus lanes in rush hour, perhaps they are all rushing to visit Micheal D after they we summonsed… but I suspect they fancy an extra 30 minutes in bed and to skip the traffic.

        1. Rob_G

          This is all true, and this is the way that it is supposed to work – but, if they used the bus lane for convenience 90% of the time, but the one time that the Gardaí stopped them they were actually on state business, it would cause an international incident.

          1. Cian

            I dunno, if they got stopped and said they were rushing to government buildings, the Guards could give them an police escort.

            If they are rushing to the shops – they get a ticket.

            If it’s the ambassador’s husband dropping the kids to school – they get a ticket.

          2. Rob_G

            How could the Gardaí establish definitively what they were in fact doing, without impinging upon protocol?

            It’s a nice idea, but the authorities of a country can’t demand to know what foreign diplomats are up to at any given time; it’s beyond their remit, and none of their business.

        1. Rob_G

          … or they could be meeting a spy or some other illicit meeting. Unlikely, but the possibility that they could be on state business means that it is none of the Irish authorities business what they are up to.

          1. Cian

            meeting a spy is not part of a diplomat’s official duties – from the host’s perspective – and can result in the diplomat being expelled.

      2. scottser

        it’s well known that ambassadors do be having to buy loads and loads of ferrero rocher for spoiling their guests with. you can’t have an ambassador without the ferreros now can ye? in fact, they should all be given flashing ferrero beacons to use on their cars when they run out so as not to have eejits like us in the way. and that if that poor ambassador got clamped buying ferrero rochets then they’ll be hell to pay – mark my words.

        1. H

          One time I saw a man walking into the Irish Embassy in London with a box of Ferrero Rocher and I nearly pee’d myself trying to stifle the laughter

    2. Papi

      CD cars can be ticketed and clamped as per normal cars, it’s just that the embassy can then appeal to the ministry of foreign affairs of the host country who can have it revoked/refunded. As another commenter says, this is most likely a spouse, as the ambassador would have their driver look after the car. I am an embassy driver.

      1. Cian

        Heehee.

        Diplomat: “I demand you refund me €100 AND the 2 hours it took to remove the clamp from my car”
        Clamper: ??

    3. Owen

      Diplomatic immunity does not really exist these days, not for 1st world nations anyway. There is diplomatic ‘discretion’ perhaps, but little immunity. For instance, if the cops pulled over a CD car, they might ask the car to follow them to the Garda station, and not arrest them. If they drive off, the Garda could follow and arrest, and deal with the political saga later.

      Most diplomats actually fit for purpose, and are diplomatic, so there is no need for the immunity.

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