CIRCUIT COURT - DUBLIN CIRCUIT
I, Patricia Ryan, President of the Circuit Court, in pursuance of the powers vested in me by Section 10 of the Courts of Justice Act 1947, and by other powers conferred on me, and having consulted the permanent Judges of the Dublin Circuit, do hereby Order the following:
That the sittings of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court scheduled to begin in the week beginning 20th April 2020 shall be dealt with as follows:
Criminal Cases
No jury trials will commence in the Dublin Circuit during the Easter Term 2020. They will be adjourned to dates set out in the Schedule hereunder. Defendants’ Solicitors to inform their clients they need not attend if on Bail. All trials listed where the accused is not in custody will be listed for mention on the adjourned date. Whenever possible the appearance in Court of the accused person in custody should be dealt with by videolink. Defendant’s Solicitors to advise the Circuit Court Office if their clients need not be produced in Court and can appear by videolink.
All matters where the accused person is in custody, to be dealt with as usual or by videolink where possible. If an accused person in custody wants to be arraigned and plead guilty he will be given a date at the callover, the case can be relisted to allow the accused to be produced and a sentence hearing can take place.
Cases in which the accused is not in custody will not appear in the callover list but the accused is remanded to appear on the dates set out in the schedule below. Defendants’ Solicitors to inform their clients they need not attend on that date if on Bail. For unrepresented defendants the Circuit Court Office will advise them directly. If an accused person on bail wants to be arraigned and plead guilty, a date will be given at the callover and the case can be relisted for a sentencing hearing.
District Court Appeals.
If a person is in custody on another matter and on bail regarding the matter being appealed, that appeal will be adjourned to the adjourned date without the need for him to be produced.
(e) The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions/ Defence Solicitors may inform witness summonsed for Circuit Court matters (save for sentencing of Defendants in custody) that they do not need to attend for the matters listed in the sessions in the Easter Term 2020.
Schedule
Matters listed for Dublin Circuit Criminal Court:
20th April 2020 to be adjourned to 29th June 2020
21st April 2020 to be adjourned to 30th June 2020
22nd April 2020 to be adjourned to 1st July 2020
23rd April 2020 to be adjourned to 2nd July 2020
24th April 2020 to be adjourned to 3rd July 2020
27th April 2020 to be adjourned to 6th July 2020
28th April 2020 to be adjourned to 7th July 2020
29th April 2020 to be adjourned to 8th July 2020
30th April 2020 to be adjourned to 9th July 2020
1st May 2020 to be adjourned to 10th July 2020
5th May 2020 to be adjourned to 13th July 2020
6th May 2020 to be adjourned to 14th July 2020
7th May 2020 to be adjourned to 15th July 2020
8th May 2020 to be adjourned to 16th July 2020
11th May 2020 to be adjourned to 20th July 2020
12th May 2020 to be adjourned to 21st July 2020
13th May 2020 to be adjourned to 22nd July 2020
14th May 2020 to be adjourned to 23rd July 2020
15th May 2020 to be adjourned to 24th July 2020
18th May 2020 to be adjourned to 27th July 2020
19th May 2020 to be adjourned to 28th July 2020
20th May 2020 to be adjourned to 29th July 2020
21st May 2020 to be adjourned to 30th July 2020
22nd May 2020 to be adjourned to 31st July 2020
25th May 2020 to be adjourned to 6th October 2020
26th May 2020 to be adjourned to 7th October 2020
27th May 2020 to be adjourned to 8th October 2020
28th May 2020 to be adjourned to 9th October 2020.
District Court Appeals
District Court Appeals listed between 20th April 2020 and 15th May 2020 inclusive where the person accused before the Court is not in custody are adjourned to the dates set out hereunder:
20th April 2020 to be adjourned to 16th November 2020
21st April 2020 to be adjourned to 17th November 2020
22nd April 2020 to be adjourned to 18th November 2020
23rd April 2020 to be adjourned to 19th November 2020
24th April 2020 to be adjourned to 20th November 2020
27th April 2020 to be adjourned to 23rd November 2020
28th April 2020 to be adjourned to 24th November 2020
29th April 2020 to be adjourned to 25th November 2020
30th April 2020 to be adjourned to 26th November 2020
1st May 2020 to be adjourned to 27th November 2020
5th May 2020 to be to be adjourned to 7th December 2020
6th May 2020 to be adjourned to 8th December 2020
7th May 2020 to be adjourned to 9th November 2020
8th May 2020 to be to be adjourned to 10th December 2020
11th May 2020 to be adjourned to 14th December 2020
12th May 2020 to be adjourned to 15th December 2020
13th May 2020 to be adjourned to 16th December 2020
14th May 2020 to be to be adjourned to 17th December 2020
15th May 2020 to be adjourned to 18th December 2020
A Judge will be available to hear all urgent applications.
Family Law
Family Law matters listed during the Easter Term are adjourned to a date to be fixed in the Circuit Court Office.
A Judge will be available to hear all urgent applications.
Civil matters
Insolvency matters
Where practitioners inform the Court office that a matter is urgent (including for financial reasons) cases will be listed and applications dealt with by a Judge remotely in the first instance. If a non -remote hearing is directed by a Judge a sitting will be arranged.
Other Civil matters
Civil matters listed during the Easter Term are adjourned to a date to be fixed in the Circuit Court Office.
A Judge will be available to hear all urgent applications.
County Registrars’ Lists
County Registrars motion courts, case progression hearings taxations and callovers will be adjourned to a date to be fixed by the Circuit Court Office, otherwise than where case progression hearings and taxations can be arranged by agreement with the parties and be dealt with without the necessity of the parties being present.
Where cases are settled and require to be struck out, or consents and requests for adjournments need to be ruled, these can be dealt with by email requests from both parties and will be ruled by the County Registrar without the necessity of parties being present. Similarly, applications for the appointment of Care Representatives, or applications for marriage exemptions, subject to the paperwork being in order, will be ruled without the necessity of parties being present.
Any urgent matters on consent can be dealt with similarly by email and the County Registrar will rule on them without the necessity of the parties being present. Where urgent contested matters arise, by appointment the County Registrar will sit and parties may have to attend. All other contested matters will be adjourned to a date to be fixed by the Circuit Court Office.
Parties will be notified by email to the email address provided to the Circuit Court Office.
The precise way in which necessary physical hearings have to be conducted is being kept under constant review and must, of course, be adjusted to reflect changes in Government guidance and direction.
It is currently hoped that it will be possible in early course for the courts to pilot remote hearings, where they are suitable and where they can be conducted in a manner which is fair and where the parties and their representatives can comply with all Government guidance and direction for the time being in force. Further statements will be issued to update both the public and practitioners on these developments and on other measures designed to allow the maximum number of cases to progress and be ultimately decided subject only to that being capable of being done safely.
That this Order shall be published as soon as possible on www.courts.ie.
Dated this 6th day of April 2020
Patricia Ryan
President of the Circuit Court