Kerry - Circuit Court - Notice re Sittings remainder of March & Easter Term 2021

Practitioners & litigants are referred to the Directions issued by The President of The Circuit Court on the 24^th February 2021 and published on the Courts Service website which continues the current Covid-19 restrictions for the month of March 2021 up to the 5^th April 2021. These restrictions are likely to persist for a number of weeks after the 5^th April 2021. Confirmation and further updated Directions will issue after the 30^th March 2021 following an update from Government on arrangements for April and beyond.

The following specific arrangements apply in Kerry for the remainder of this Term.

Circuit Court Sittings.

His Honour Judge Terry O’Sullivan will sit in Tralee Courthouse on Tuesday the 16^th March and in Killarney Courthouse on the 18^th & 19^th March 2021 to hear Criminal matters listed for that week. He will also have a call-over of the criminal list for sittings of the Kerry Circuit Criminal Court for the three weeks commencing 13^th April 2021 in Tralee Courthouse on Friday the 19^th March 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at Killarney Courthouse.

His Honour Judge Terence O’Sullivan will sit in Killarney Courthouse during the week commencing Tuesday the 22^nd March 2021 to take consent rulings in respect of the civil/family cases listed that week and to deal with any urgent matters listed for that week.

Judge O’Sullivan will hold a call-over of his day lists at 10:30 a.m. each morning and will also call-over the following days cases each day. Practitioners should be represented at the call-overs. Clients and witnesses should not enter the Courthouse until they are called in by their Solicitor for the hearing of their case, if required for same. Please ask your clients to remain in their cars close by so that they can attend the Courthouse at short notice.

Hearings will comply with Current Government Covid-19 restrictions and participants are expected to co-operate fully in ensuring same.

County Registrar hearings for remainder of March 2021.

1. The Taxation of Costs List for Killarney on the 21^st April 2021 stands for now.
2. The Taxation of Costs List for Tralee on the 12^th April 2021  stands for now.
3. The Family Law Case Progression List for Killarney on the 14^th April 2021 stands for now.
4. The Family Law Case Progression List for Tralee on the 16^th April 2021 stands for now.
5. The Re-possession List for Tralee on the 18^th March 2021 now stands Adjourned to Tralee on the 15^th April, 2021.
6. The Account & Enquiry List for Tralee on the 19^th March 2021 now stands adjourned to Tralee on the 19^th April 2021, save for those Applications in that list which are dealt with by consent email applications to the County registrar.
7. The Family Law Motion List for Tralee on the 25^th March 2021 now stands adjourned to Tralee on Thursday the 29^th April 2021, save for those Motions in that list which are dealt with by consent email applications to the County Registrar.
8. The Civil Motion List for Tralee on the 26^th March 2021 now stands adjourned to Tralee on Friday the 30^th April 2021, save for those motions in that list which are dealt with by consent email applications to the County Registrar.

NOTE.

If any matters listed before the County Registrar have been settled and are capable of being ruled by consent at this time please email the County Registrar and relevant Tralee Court Office staff members:-

Civil -  Dermot Sugrue and Mary Varley, and

 Family - Catherine Griffin and Una Deady.

The email addresses for Tralee Court Office personnel are as follows:-

 Civil:- (padraigburke@courts.ie, dermotsugrue@courts.ie, maryvarley@courts.ie),

Family:- (padraigburke@courts.ie,  catherinegriffin@courts.ie, unadeady@courts.ie ).

The email should contain the consent of your opposite number and be cc’d to them. We will then respond to both parties confirming consent order made.

Call-overs for Easter Term 2021 & Trinity Term 2021.

1. The Criminal Call-over for Easter Term will take place at Killarney Courthouse at 10:30 a.m. on Friday the 19^th March 2021. This call-over will fill the lists for each day of sittings for the weeks commencing 13^th 20^th and 27^th April 2021.
2. The criminal call-over for Trinity Term 2021 is provisionally fixed for Friday the 30^th April, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at either Tralee or Killarney Courthouse. Venue will be clarified before end of criminal sessions in Easter Term 2021.

NOTE: 
Civil & Family Law Sittings for Easter Term 2021 are limited to three weeks in May 2021. In light of current Covid-19 restrictions and limited judicial hearing time Easter Term 2021 callover will be a POSITIVE CALLOVER of cases ready to be called on by consent of the parties and conducted by email.

Practitioners are asked to email the County Registrar and Civil and/or Family Tralee Court Office Staff listed above with requests for hearing for urgent cases which are ready to proceed. Please indicate in your email the likely duration of the hearing and the number of witnesses likely to be called by each side.

Please also ensure that whichever party emails the request for a hearing date cc’s the email to their opposite number. Confirmation of designated hearing date will be by email to each party listed in email requesting listing.

Easter Term Civil & Family sittings will be as follows:-

Tralee during the week commencing 4^th May and on the 18^th May,

Listowel Scheduled Sittings on the 11^th & 12^th May,

Killarney Scheduled Sittings on the 13^th & 14^th May and Killarney on the 19^th & 20^th May 2021.

3. The Killarney Civil List call-over due to take place at Killarney Courthouse at 10:30 a.m. on Monday the 22^nd March 2021 now stands adjourned to Wednesday the 14^th April 2021 at 2p.m. at Killarney Courthouse – any matter not called on by consent by the parties will automatically be adjourned to the Trinity Term call-over..
4. The Listowel & Tralee Civil Lists call-overs due to take place at Tralee Courthouse at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday the 23^rd March 2021 now stands adjourned to Tralee at 2 p.m. on Friday the 16^th April 2021 at Tralee Courthouse – any matter not called on by consent by the parties will automatically be adjourned to Trinity Term call-over.
5. The Family Law List Call-over due to take place at Tralee Courthouse at 10:30a.m. on Wednesday the 24^th March 2021 now stands adjourned to Tralee Courthouse at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday the 13^th April 2021 – any matter not called on by consent by the parties will automatically be adjourned to Trinity Term 2021 call-over.

NOTE: 
There will be a separate call-over for Trinity Term 2021. This is to allow for greater certainty on the nature of Covid-19 social distancing restrictions likely to apply during Trinity Term 2021 at that time. At this point in time it is anticipated that Civil and Family Law cases will be heard during the weeks commencing 1^st, 8^th, 14^th and 21^st June 2021The remaining five weeks of Trinity Term is currently assigned to Crime. There is only a possibility that one or two of these criminal weeks will become available for Civil & Family law cases. This will be clarified before the call-over dates in May 2021.

Accordingly, Trinity Term Civil and Family Law call-overs will be held on the following dates:-

6. The Killarney Civil List call-over will be held at 10:30 a.m. at Killarney Courthouse on Wednesday the 12^th May 2021.
7. The Family Law call-over will be held at Tralee Courthouse at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday the 13^th May 2021.
8. The Listowel & Tralee call-overs will be held at Tralee Courthouse at 10:30 a.m. on Friday the 14^th May 2021.

General

1. The County Registrar and the Court will continue to deal with urgent applications during the remainder of this Term and Easter Term. Such applications should, in the first instance, be emailed to the Tralee Court Office with both parties email addresses appearing on the address line.
2. In advance of the Civil and Family Law call-overs for next two Terms practitioners and litigants are asked to prepare a list of any consent applications involving them/their firms outlining the nature of each application, with a view to having these listed for ruling in blocks on the first available opportunity. Please email these cases to the Tralee Court Office ahead of the call-over dates listed above.
3. If there are any urgent civil and/or family matters and in particular lengthy cases (i.e. of one or more days duration) requiring and ready for hearing during either of the next two terms please advise the Tralee Court Office of same ahead of the call-over dates listed above.