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Courts Service - Covid-19 Notice - Commencement of Hilary Term 2022

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Courts Service - Covid-19 Notice - Commencement of Hilary Term 2022
Friday 07th January 2022
Terms & Sittings
1218 Days ago

Friday 7th January:

The high incidence rate of Covid 19 has resulted in unprecedented numbers of Courts Service staff, Judges, practitioners and witnesses unable to attend at Courthouses. This position is reflected across the justice sector. As a consequence, there will be some disruption to Court sittings until 21st January 2022.

This is an evolving situation which will be kept under review on a regular basis, having regard to staffing levels, Judicial availability, Government announcements, and public health guidance.

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

Steps will be taken in each jurisdiction to address the issues arising in other areas. The Courts Service and the Presidents of the respective jurisdictions are aware of the unique nature of each jurisdiction and the differing implications of curtailing services across Civil, Criminal and Family areas of law. The aim is to minimise disruption to Courts for the shortest possible period. Priority will continue to be given to urgent matters such as domestic violence applications.

Notices, Orders and Practice Directions from the respective Presidents setting out how business will be conducted in the Superior, Circuit and District Courts for the initial weeks of 2022 have been published on www.courts.ie please see links below with a synopsis of the business planned across each jurisdiction and area of work.  Every effort will be made to conduct as much business as is possible, however given the evolving situation, court business regrettably, may have to be cancelled at short notice.  Where this occurs, it is the intention that any adjournment be for the minimum period.  In those jurisdictions where hearings are transferred to a remote platform, it is the intention that in-person hearings will resume as soon as is feasible.

Supreme Court: All hearings scheduled until the end of January will be heard by remote platform.

Please click here for the Supreme Court President's Notice:
Supreme Court President's Notice.

Court of Appeal: All hearings scheduled will be heard by remote platform with requests for physical hearings and hybrid hearings considered on a case-by-case basis. The position will be reviewed on 19th January 2022.

Please click here for the Court of Appeal Notice:
Court of Appeal Notice.

High Court: Criminal trials due to commence in the Central Criminal Court will not start before 24th January 2022.  All other work will continue subject to the availability of Judges and Registrars.

Please click here for the High Court President's Notices:
High Court President's Notice - Dublin Sittings.
High Court President's Notice - Provincial Sittings.

Circuit Court: Criminal trials due to commence on all Circuits will not start before 24th January 2022.  All other work will continue subject to the availability of Judges and Registrars. Practitioners are asked to note the directions in relation to the attendance of accused persons in criminal matters and use of remote hearings in Civil and Family matters where possible.

Please click below for Circuit Court President's Orders:
Cork Circuit Court  Order
Dublin Circuit Court Order
Eastern Circuit Court Order
Midland Circuit Court Order
Northern Circuit Court Order
South Eastern Circuit Court Order
South Western Circuit Court Order
Western Circuit Court Order

District Court:

Criminal: An accused person, if legally represented, is excused from attending at criminal matters. Un-represented accused should attend in person. Hearings in Criminal cases will not proceed save in limited circumstances. In relation to regulatory or road traffic matters, please see attached notice. All remands where the accused is in custody should be dealt with by video-link.

Civil and Licensing matters: Court Civil and Licensing matters will be adjourned to a date assigned by the Court.

Child Care: All Child Care cases will proceed as normal until further notice. If the parties have reached agreement then a consent order may issue. Consent adjournments can be notified to the relevant court office by email.

Family Law: Family law matters will proceed subject to the availability of Judges and Registrars.

Please click here for the District Court President's Notice:
District Court President's Notice

Reminders for those attending Court and Court buildings/ houses

Anyone attending Court during the upcoming Legal Term is asked to adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Anyone with symptoms of Covid 19. or who has had a positive antigen test, is awaiting a PCR test or test results or who has been advised that they are a close contact of someone with Covid 19 should not attend at court premises.

2. Everyone entering a Courts Service premises, save for medical or other welfare considerations, is expected to wear a face covering.

3. The Courts Service has implemented a robust and successful Covid-19 Safety Management Programme to ensure that Courtrooms and all public spaces in court buildings are kept as safe as possible. This programme recognises that the risk of transmission in a courtroom setting increases with the length of time a person is present indoors and the number of people in attendance over that period. Physical distancing measures and capacity numbers in place for all courtrooms and some other spaces within court buildings should be strictly observed.

4. All court users are expected to observe good respiratory and hand hygiene.

5. The use of staggered lists, videolink to prisons, remote callovers and courts will continue to assist with management of footfall in buildings.

6. The Courts Service will continue to use dedicated staff to manage the movement of persons on our premises.

7.  Occupants of bar rooms and consultation rooms should comply with all advised Covid-19 safety measures.

8. Lastly, the Courts Service and Judiciary are seeking the assistance of practitioners in the following:

- Please agree in advance as many issues and as much evidence as possible in order to shorten hearings and avoid witnesses attending court unnecessarily.
- Where possible, consultations in relation to upcoming proceedings should take place in the days or weeks preceding the hearing date assigned to a case and should take place otherwise than on Courts Service premises so that the safety of those required to attend court on any given day can be best protected.
- In relation to witness cases, hybrid hearings should be availed of, wherever possible.

Further Information/ Updates

For queries relating to Jury Summons please contact the number provided on your summons and refer to the Courts Service twitter account @CourtsServiceIE.

Courts updates will be provided as and when available, please consult www.courts.ie:

·    the Covid-19 Notice pages for regional updates 

·    general Covid-19 updates 

·    President's Announcements


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