Annual Report 2009

Highlights

Court operations:

»53 new murder cases in the Central Criminal Court - the highest number since 2002

»49 new rape cases in the Central Criminal Court - the lowest number since 2005

»320 High Court European Arrest Warrant applications - a 40% increase on 2008

»324 appeals lodged in the Court of Criminal Appeal

»31 accused persons before the Special Criminal Court - the highest number since 2004

»1,586 theft and robbery offences dealt with in the Circuit Criminal Court - an increase of 28% on 2008

»954 drugs offences dealt with in the Circuit Criminal Court - an increase of 23% on 2008

»17,620 drug offences dealt with in the District Court - an  increase of 12% on 2008

»333,161 (64%) of summary cases disposed of in the District Court related to road traffic offences

»Orders made in the High Court to wind up 128 companies - a 66% increase on 2008

»17 new bankruptcies in the High Court - a 110% increase on 2008

»373 new cases admitted to the Commercial List in the High Court -  an increase of 53% on 2008

»293 orders for possession made in the High Court - a 23% increase on 2008

»304 orders for possession made in the Circuit Court - a 35% increase on 2008»

»5,653 claims for recovery of liquidated debt in the High Court - a 48% increase on 2008

»1,884 undefended judgments for liquidated debt in the High Court - an increase of 59% on 2008

»347 judgments  in defended cases for the recovery of liquidated debt (Master's orders) - a 43% increase on 2008

»13,613 judgments for liquidated debt in the Circuit Court - a 33% increase on 2008

»29,285 judgments for liquidated debt in the District Court - an 18% increase on 2008

»1,627 applications for judicial separation - a 19% decrease on 2008 - majority of  applications by wives (83% in High Court; 73% in Circuit Court)

»3,716 applications for divorce - a 13% decrease on 2008 - majority of applications by husbands in the High  Court (64%) and by wives in the Circuit Court (54%)

»55 applications for nullity - a 10% decrease on 2008 - majority (60%) made by husbands

»152 appeals to the High Court from the Circuit Court in family law cases - a 27% increase on 2008

»957 applications for custody in the District Court - a 27% increase on 2008

»4,348 applications for access in the District Court - a 25% increase on 2008

»192 pub licences granted in the Circuit Court - a 26% decrease on 2008

»34 restaurant licences granted - a 51% decrease on 2008

»21 hotel licences granted - a 43% decrease on 2008 

Modernising the courts:

»the work of the group examining how the Service might transform administration and structures in the courts (TASC)

»the completion of the new Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin

»work on standardising processes in civil and family law cases laying the groundwork for a civil case management system

»family law case progression in the Circuit Court

»the use of video conferencing systems between courts and prisons

»over two million visits to our website - up over 25%