School Visits

* We are unable to accommodate individual tours, visits are designed for Second level school groups.

** Please be aware that although our tours are free, our hardworking tour guides are paid. Cancellations result in loss of income so do not book unless you are certain of attendance.

*** Our programme is hugely over-subscribed, please do not create placeholder bookings or block book times you may not be available. This results in other schools missing out on the opportunity to visit the courts. Schools that engage in this may have their bookings cancelled.

Groups must be no more than 24 students with 2 accompanying teachers. The group will be split into two when attending court proceedings, with one teacher per group. No more than 12 students (with accompanying teacher) may be present in any court gallery.

Please use the above booking facility to schedule a guided tour by clicking on the arrow on the right hand side. The booking system will require contact details for one person when booking, and may appear as booking for one person (however this is for the entire group.)

On the day of your visit

• Assemble at the 'Schools Meeting Point' sign in the Great Hall in the Criminal Courts of Justice no later then 9.10 a.m. for the morning visit and 1.05 p.m. for the afternoon visit
• Members of the group should be in school uniform where appropriate
• Switch off all mobile phones
• Note that the taking of photographs inside the court building is prohibited
• We regret that we are unable to offer parking facilities, however street parking is available and the Phoenix Park is nearby.
• Please note that the canteen seating area on the first floor is for individual paying customers only. Tour groups may not enter the canteen area.

Format of a visit

• A legal professional will meet your group and introduce you to the building and work carried out there
• You will be brought to a courtroom for further discussion and to take part in a mock trial (the details of which can be found and downloaded below)
• Your tour guide can advise what courtrooms and cases might be suitable for your group. If you have entered a court gallery please remain seated in the court until 1.00 p.m. (for morning visits) and 4.00 p.m. (for afternoon visits) to minimise disruption to the court proceedings.
• Every effort will be made to enable groups to also attend at a court hearing. However, the nature of court proceedings is such that there may be days when there are no suitable cases at hearing at the time of the visit. 

Note: There are no available tour dates during August and September when the courts are on long vacation. 

See below downloadable forms for use for guided tour.

	Teachers notes for mock trial
	Schools information leaflet

By booking a school tour you are deemed to have read and agreed to the following conditions:

1. Groups must be booked for an official tour and must be no more than 24 students with 2 accompanying teachers.

a. The group must be split into two when attending court proceedings, with one teacher per group.
b. No more than 12 students (with accompanying teacher) may be present in any court gallery
c. Unaccompanied groups of students must not be present in any court gallery.
d. Tours that have been booked but arrive with more students or less teachers than required by their group size may be denied access.

2. All members of tour groups must pass through and follow the instructions of security at the building entrance. Groups that do not adhere to the rules may not be permitted entry. Prohibited articles cannot be brought into the building and those found in possession of same may be denied entry.

3. Photography & recordings, either video or audio are prohibited inside the CCJ.
Group photos should only be taken outside.

4. There is no talking in the Court rooms.

5. There is no eating or drinking in the court rooms. The canteen seating area on the first floor is for individual paying customers of the canteen.

6. Please switch off mobile phones. Phones can not only disrupt proceedings but also interfere with the sound systems in the courtrooms.

7. You will be guided by a legal professional who will advise what cases / courtrooms may be suitable to sit in on;

a. Not all cases may be suitable and cases with an 'In Camera' sign on the door may not be entered.
b. Where a court room is locked do not try and gain entry.
c. Every effort will be made to enable groups to also attend at a court hearing, however, the nature of court proceedings is such that there may be days when there are no suitable cases at hearing at the time of the visit. 

8. If you have entered a court hearing a single case please remain seated in the court until the court adjourns or rises, 1.00 p.m. (for morning visits) and 4.00 p.m. (for afternoon visits) to minimise disruption to the court proceedings.  If there are multiple cases being heard, please wait for the gap between cases.

9. All instructions of the Court staff & the Judge must be followed, if you are asked to leave a court room, then you must leave. If the judge or registrar finds the presence of the group disruptive or if they know an unsuitable case or information is coming up, they can ask for the group to leave or for the court to be cleared. Their instructions must be followed.

10. Please be respectful at all times, given the nature of the cases you or your students may be sitting beside victims of crime, their families, or the family of the defendants. Proceedings in court are not to be taken lightly. The courts deal with serious matters affecting people’s lives. You should show respect by remaining quiet and not causing any disturbance to the court or to other people in the courtroom.  

11. When cancelling a booking please do so as early as possible, late cancellations deprive other schools of the opportunity to attend, and tour guides must still be paid. Schools that repeatedly cancel bookings less than 24 hours before the start may be blocked from making future bookings or have further existing bookings cancelled at short notice.  Groups that block book online to hold days open for themselves and then cancel multiple bookings may be blocked from making future bookings or have further existing bookings cancelled at short notice.

12. Groups who break these rules and/or disrupt court proceedings in any way not specified above not only jeopardise the future of the school tours programme but may also be blocked from making future bookings or have further existing bookings cancelled at short notice.

13. The Courts Service will not be held liable for any losses incurred where due to non-compliance with the above conditions parties are denied entry, removed from courts or have further bookings cancelled or declined.