Jury trials will not commence before 1st February 2021
Thursday 7 January 2021: Following the Government’s announcement applying additional Level 5 restrictions, to stem the trajectory of the disease at this time; the Courts Service have confirmed, under their enhanced Covid-19 Level 5 protocols, that trials which have not already commenced will not start in January. No trial will commence before the 1st February, therefore jury panels called for the month of January are no longer required to attend for jury service. Please note that further trials from February are subject to review on the 26 January 2021.
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 throughout Level 5.
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.
The Courts Service is getting in touch with any other potential jurors regarding the cancellation of jury trials.
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