Dublin Metropolitan District Court

Criminal sittings in the Dublin Metropolitan District Court

1. With effect from the 1st September 2016, Garda summonses currently listed in Chancery Street Courts numbers 46 and 44 will be listed as follows:

   • 50% of the summons will be transferred to Court No. 8 in the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ).
   • 50% to Court no. 2, Blanchardstown.
    

2. In 2015, there were 43,947 Garda Summonses listed in Court Nos. 44 and 46 in Chancery Street. Based on this volume and spread of business, summonses from the following Garda Stations are to be listed in Court No. 2, Blanchardstown Courthouse with effect from the above date.
    

    

   No. of summonses

   Summonses for the 8 garda stations where charge sheets are currently listed in Blanchardstown: -
   Blanchardstown, Celbridge, Clondalkin, Finglas, Leixlip, Lucan, Rathcoole and Ronanstown

   7,660

   Summonses for Ballyfermot Garda Station

   1,769

   Summonses for Cabra Garda Station 

   482

   Summonses for the Garda Traffic Department

   12,865

   TOTAL 

   22,776

   As regards impact on the distribution of business in the CCJ, the summonses from every other garda station (21,171 summonses) will be listed in Court No. 8, CCJ. The business currently conducted in Court 8 will move to Court 18.
    

3. The numbers of courts dealing with District Court business in the CCJ is to remain at 6. As consequence, the business currently being dealt with in the CCJ will be redistributed amongst the 5 District Courts as follows:

   • The number of hearing courts will be reduced from 3 to 2 - (Courts 2 and 18). Court 18 will deal with drink driving cases and in addition, there will be up to 10 non drink driving hearing cases listed daily in that court.

   • The maximum number of hearings listed in the 3 CCJ District remand courts (Courts 1, 3 & 4) daily will be increased from 8 to 10. There will be a callover of hearing cases at 12 o’clock daily. Cases that cannot be completed before lunch; i.e. by 1 p.m. should be put back to 2 p.m.

   • All pre-hearing matters relating to drink driving charge sheet cases will remain in whatever remand court they start in until they are ready for hearing. Garda presenters will continue to deal with the cases at pre-hearing stage and will also be responsible for ’For Mention’ list that is held in the drink driving offences court on the first Thursday of every month.

   • Up to 25 hearings cases will continue to be listed daily in hearing Court 2.

   The attached table sets out the revised redistribution of business in the CCJ and Blanchardstown. Any cases listed after that date, including adjournments,should be listed on that basis. A copy of this table will be placed in each District Court to assist with listing of cases from 1st September 2016.
    

4. In order to ensure that the revised arrangements do not impact on waiting times for hearings, it is essential that the shared diary for the listing of hearing cases in the CCJ courts is used to identify the most suitable available date for listing hearings across all Courts up to the limits mentioned above. This includes Court 18.

   In the CCJ, all video conferencing cases will continue to be listed in CCJ Court 2 - including cases requiring video conferencing to prisons, where approved. Both Court 2 and Court 3 are available when CCTV footage is going to be displayed during the course of a case. The mobile evidence display unit should be used for CCTV viewing in all other CCJ District Court for hearings listed in these courts.
    

5. The Drug Treatment Court will transfer to the Courthouse in Green Street, Dublin 7 with effect from 1st September 2016.

   These arrangements will be reviewed in December 2016.

   Rosemary Horgan
   President of the District Court
   7th April 2016

Appendix