Jury Service

Jury trials of necessity involve a large number of people being required to attend over sometimes a prolonged period and are therefore particularly affected by inability of individual practitioners, Gardai, staff, jurors, witnesses or Judges to attend. 

In the circumstances, criminal trials due to commence in the Central and Circuit Courts will not start before 24th January 2022. Please note that if you have received a summons for dates between January the 10th and January the 21st 2022 you need not attend.

Find all the latest Jury Service notices on our dedicated jury notices page (being the link above).

If you have concerns about attending, please contact the office listed in your jury summons

Health and Safety measures

The Courts Service’s main priority is the safety of all court users. Jury service is an essential element of the criminal justice system and every effort has been made to ensure jury trials are safe and feel safe to people attending for jury service.  The Courts Service has safely conducted a number of jury trials since the start of the pandemic, receiving excellent feedback from jurors who felt safe throughout the process, as a result of the Courts Service comprehensive health and safety management programme and measures. The health and safety protocols and protective measures in place are working well and these standards will continue to be maintained as required.

It is important that anyone attending court buildings continue to practice the public health measures, follow the guidance of the Courts and the health and safety protocols put in place by the Courts Service namely:

• wear face masks
• physical distance at 2m
• continue good hand and respiratory hygiene
• avoid congregating in groups
• comply with directions from Courts Service staff in relation to the management of the numbers of persons in court buildings and
• if you have symptoms or if you have been directed to restrict your movement or awaiting the results of a Covid-19 test, you are asked not to attend court.

Jurors attendance

If you are due to attend an existing trial but have concerns about public transport please call the contact number on the summons.

Please note the Courts Service may contact jurors who have confirmed their attendance and provided a mobile contact number by text with any changes to the information contained in their summons. Courts Services text messages will be sent from “Courts”, therefore only text messages received from “Courts” should be regarded as communication from the Courts Service.  When confirming attendance, if you are in a position to, please provide a contact mobile number.

If you have received a summons and are unsure please call the contact number on the summons.

Changes to juries, court sittings and court operations are typically made available through our Twitter account  - @CourtsServiceIE and on our webpages :

Covid-19 Notices
Covid-19 Response Updates
Jury Service Notices - January 2022

It has come to our attention that members of the public have received fraudulent jury service notices by email. 

You should delete such emails and never click on any links in them. A genuine jury summons is issued only through the postal system.

It is also reported that phone calls are being received purporting to be from a jury office, demanding payment of a fine for non-attendance for jury service.  Such calls are not from the Courts Service.  You should report such calls to your local Garda station.

Please note the Courts Service may contact jurors who have confirmed their attendance and provided a mobile contact number by text with any changes to the information contained in their summons. 

When confirming attendance, if you are in a position to, please provide a contact mobile number.