Pilot Courts Portal for Circuit Court Family Law in Dublin now live
18th June 2025
The Digital Rules approved by the Rules Committees have been published.
Circuit Court Digital S.I.: S.I. 217 of 2025
District Court Digital S.I.: S.I. 218 of 2025
This facilitates the new Portal which allows practitioners and the self-represented to make filings online is only currently available for Circuit Court Family Law in Dublin. The Portal is being developed incrementally one section at a time in consultation with practitioners, judges and users.
Video update from Owen Harrison, CIO, The Courts Service
The Digital Rules, which the Superior Courts, Circuit Court and District Court Rules Committees adopted last year, have been published and the Statutory Instruments are available through links on courts.ie. For the specific SI links see below.
The Digital Rules allow for end-to-end digitisation of court processes and make online filing, payments and tracking of court documents and cases possible. They also specifically make provisions for a Statement of Truth, which is a fully online affidavit and digital serving. The Digital Rules underpin the digital interaction with the new Courts Portal which has gone live on a pilot basis for Circuit Court Family Law in Dublin.
Owen Harrison, Chief Information Officer, for the Courts Service, explains the opportunity the Digital Rules and Courts Portal offers;
“The Courts Portal going live in Dublin for Circuit Court Family Law applications means legal practitioners and self-representatives in Dublin can file to court, complete Statements of Truth (online affidavits) and serve other parties online. The Courts Portal is accepting Circuit Court filings for Family law applications in Dublin now. Underpinned by the Digital Rules, this is a completely new service and new approach to digital service development being offered by the Courts Service to improve the court experience for all.”
Speaking about our digital transformation Mr. Harrison explained
“We have worked with Courts Service staff, judiciary, practitioners and members of the public over the last number of months and years to get to this point. Last year we introduced a new case management system for Courts Service staff in Circuit Court Family Law. This was followed by the introduction of a judicial version of the case management system. Prior to adding the Courts Portal for Circuit Court Family Law as a pilot for practitioners in Dublin, we had extensive engagement with practitioners to understand their systems and ways of working.”
Speaking about the next steps Mr. Harrison noted
“This is only the beginning, we’re keen for practitioners in Dublin for Circuit Court Family Law to sign up to the Court Portal accessible from portal.courts.ie so that they can start filing. As soon as they do this, we want to hear from them as we plan to upgrade and iterate as we get feedback from practitioners. This is brand new for everyone, and we are keen to continue to develop the Portal in an agile way improving as we go. Once we’re happy with Courts Portal for Circuit Court Family Law in Dublin we will move out of the ‘pilot stage’ and rollout the Courts Portal for Circuit Court Family Law nationwide. After this we will then move to the next addition to the Portal which will be for Probate and so on.”
Speaking about the work of the Rules Committees, Mr. Harrison confirmed
“The Rules Committees, who are made up of the judiciary and legal practitioners, took a very thorough approach to the Digital Rules and their implications. In addition to inserting a new set of rules enabling digital processes, they amended the general body of Rules of Court. For example, those rules which deal with issuing of summonses, service, digital signatures, and entering appearances to ensure that there is no conflict in our new Digital rules with the rest of the Rules of Court.”
Courts Portal
SI Links and definitions relating to the new Digital Rules
Definitions
New definitions have been added to the Rules. These new definitions include -
Digital delivery – this is defined as delivery of a document by electronic means -
- by a Portal user to a court office or court officer
- by a court officer or member of staff of the Courts Service to a Portal user or
- by a Portal user to another Portal user
A Portal user can be a self-representative or a solicitor.
Statement of Truth
New rules providing for statements of truth (SoT)
Section 21 of the Civil Law and Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020 provides that where evidence is to be given on, or a document or information is to be verified by, affidavit or statutory declaration, Rules of Court may provide for a SoT to be made in place of the affidavit or statutory declaration.
The justification for providing for a SoT is simply that the process of swearing an affidavit does not lend itself to a digital process (other than by scanning or transmitting a pdf copy of an affidavit).
Rules provide that where an affidavit is required or permitted in proceedings, the filing of a SoT satisfies any obligation to file an affidavit.
Note that the person who executes the SoT is referred to as the maker rather than deponent.
There are several “avoidance of doubt” provisions in the new digital rules. For example, the rules say that provisions which confer an entitlement to cross-examine a deponent to any affidavit also apply to the maker of a SoT.
Digital Procedures
Digital users must comply with terms and conditions of use.
The rules set out some of the conditions to become a digital user. Natural persons must submit sufficient evidence of identity as prescribed by the Portal. A firm of solicitors must submit sufficient evidence of its establishment and standing as well as evidence of the identity of each natural person authorised to file digitally on behalf of the firm through the Portal (as prescribed by the Portal). The rules also say that digital users must undertake to comply with published terms and conditions of use of the Portal.
Other provisions governing digital delivery
The rules provide that a document filed digitally is not effective until the court fee (if any) is paid. Payment of court fees will be affected electronically.
When are digital documents filed?
The rules provide that the date of filing or issue of a document is the date of filing or issue recorded by the Portal. The date will be notified electronically through the Portal to the filing party.
Electronic signatures and seals
The rules say that documents transmitted digitally which require a signature may be signed by use of an electronic signature. Similarly digital documents which require a seal may be sealed electronically.
Circuit Court Digital S.I.: S.I. 217 of 2025
Changes these 9 Circuit Court Rules
Order 4: Court Seal and Authentication of Court documents
Changes:
[6] Order 4 rule 1(2A) inserted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
[7] Order 4 rule 1(2B) inserted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
[8] Order 4 rule 1(5) inserted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
Order 7: Third Party Procedure
Changes:
[1] Order 7 rule 4A inserted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
Order 11: Issue of Civil Bills, Service of Documents
Changes:
[2] Order 11 rule 5A inserted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
[4] Order 11 rule 19A inserted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025
Order 11A: Requirements as to form and delivery of pleadings, documents and notices used in civil proceedings in the Court
New Order:
[1] Order 11A inserted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
Order 15 - Appearance, Defence, Lodgment, Offer of Payment in lieu of Lodgment and Counterclaim
Changes:
[6] Order 15 rule 7B inserted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025
Order 25A: Statements of Truth
New Order:
[1] Order 25A inserted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
Order 41: Appeals from the District Court
Changes:
[1] Order 41 rule 1A inserted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
[2] Order 41 rule 8A inserted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
Order 62: Cases Stated
Changes
[1] Order 67 rule 2 substituted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
[2]Order 67 rule 4 substituted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
[3] Order 67 rule 5 substituted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
Order 67: General
Changes:
[1] Order 67 rule 2 substituted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
[2]Order 67 rule 4 substituted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
[3] Order 67 rule 5 substituted by SI 217 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
District Court Digital S.I.: S.I. 218 of 2025
Changes these 8 District Court Rules
Order 12: Miscellaneous Provisions
Changes:
[4] Order12 Rule 9 sub rule (5) inserted by S.I. 218 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025.
Order 39A: Order 39A: Requirements as to form and delivery of pleadings, documents and notices used in civil proceedings in the Court
New Rule:
[1] Order 39A inserted by S.I. 218 of 2025, effective 18 June 2025 2025
Order 41: Order 41 - Service Of Documents In Civil Proceedings - Service Of Documents In The State
Changes:
[2] Order 41 Rule 4A inserted by S.I. 218 of 2025 effective 18 June 2025
Order 42: Defence Particulars and Counterclaim
Changes:
[2] Order 42 Rule 1 Sub-rule 1A inserted by SI 218 of 2025 effective 18 June 2025.
Order 42A: Third Party Procedure
Changes
[2] Order 42A Rule 1A inserted S.I. 218 of 2025 by effective 18 June 2025.
Order 48: Authentication And Filing Of Documents
Changes:
[2] Order 48 Rule 3A inserted by S.I. 218 of 2025 effective 18 June 2025
Order 49: Hearing of Civil Proceedings
Changes:
[2] Order 49 Rule 7A inserted by S.I. 218 of 2025 effective 18 June 2025.
Order 50A: Statement of Truth
New Rule:
[1] Order 50A inserted by S.I. 218 of 2025, effective 29 day of May 2025