The Irish Times

Do character references serve any good in a court system bound by rules of evidence?

Years before his public outrage about a TD’s glowing character reference for a criminal, Judge John Edwards’ tolerance of unverified mitigation pleas on behalf of convicted parties had worn thin. Back ...
The Irish Times

Character references ‘don’t carry huge weight’ if judge has decided on a custodial sentence

Character references can be of use where a convicted person awaiting sentence for a first crime appears to have truly acted out of character, according to retired High Court judge Michael White.
Independent.ie

‘It ended not on our victim statements, but on kind words about our abusive brother. It was absolutely horrific’ – survivors hit out at court character references

Recent high-profile case shows referees still not asked to stand by their words in court, despite change in the legislation ...

Character references in sex abuse cases 'need reformed'

The use of character references in sexual crime cases should be reformed urgently, campaigners have told BBC News NI.
The Conversation

NSW is ditching good character references in sentencing. Will the rest of the country follow?

New South Wales is set to become the first jurisdiction in the country to end the use of good character references in the sentencing of convicted criminals. The government will introduce a bill this ...