The 6th October marked the opening of the new legal year. Chief Justice Susan Denham issued a statement to mark the occasion and discussed the role of the Judiciary, the Courts Service and the new Court of Appeal.
The Chief Justice praised the independence of the Irish judiciary, second only to Finland in European rankings. However, she did raise concerns about under resourcing of the Judiciary and the Courts Service. Ireland has the lowest number of judges per head of population among the 47 Council of Europe member states, according to the Chief Justice. She welcomed the indication from Government that they will give priority to a Bill establishing a Judicial Council – a body sixteen years in the making and recognised as necessary by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. The Council’s functions would include education of judges, maintenance of high standards of judicial conduct through ethical and professional guidelines, and a complaints procedure for members of the public.
The Chief Justice also praised the establishment of the new Court of Appeal following the 2013 Referendum to amend the Constitution. According to the Chief Justice, “It is the most important development in the structure of the Courts since the foundation of the State”. The new Court will have its place between the High Court and the Supreme Court and is due to begin hearing cases this autumn.
Last week, the Courts Service cancelled plans for reorganisation of courts in the Dublin area after consultation with relevant organisations. The closure of courts in Swords, Dun Laoghaire, Balbriggan and Tallaght will no longer go ahead. According to the Courts Service, the proposals could have resulted in “increased costs across the justice sector and be organisationally challenging for other agencies in the sector”. Those arguing against the proposals suggested that the cost burden would have shifted to users of the courts, social workers, HSE employees, local authority staff and An Garda Síochána. The plans had previously been criticised by the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association (DSBA) and the Law Society of Ireland. The DSBA organised consultations with stakeholders, expert reports, and media attention in advance of the submission of their comprehensive submission on the proposals.
Some rural courts are still under threat of closure, such as Tipperary and Skibbereen. However, in 2012 the Courts Service announced plans to open seven new courthouses in a €120 million Public Private Partnership project, with new or refurbished buildings in Drogheda, Letterkenny, Wexford town, Mullingar, Cork, Limerick and Waterford. Completion of the project is due in late 2017.
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