Vol. 428 No. 5
27 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Justice if in respect of each Circuit Court area and the High Court, she will give details of the amount of time that is likely to elapse between the initiation of proceedings in civil cases, whether by way of civil bill or summons, and the hearing of such proceedings; and if she has satisfied herself, having regard to the delays involved, that the position is satisfactory to litigants.
It is not possible to give details of the length of time which is likely to elapse between the initiation of proceedings in civil cases and the hearing of these cases in the Circuit and High Courts.
The hearing and disposal of civil cases in both the Circuit and High Courts is subject to a variety of factors, many of which are outside the control of the courts.
Over 50 per cent of all civil bills or summonses issued are subsequently not pursued through the court system. Of those that are, no case is listed for hearing until a notice of trial is lodged by the parties involved. The time that elapses between the issue of a civil bill or summons and the lodgement of a notice of trial is entirely in the hands of the parties. Once a case is listed for hearing it is subject to applications for adjournment from either party. However, I am aware of and am very concerned by delays in the hearing of civil cases in some Circuit Court venues and in the High Court.
I am committed to using the resources available to me to ensure that the service provided by the courts is both efficient and effective. A review of activity levels in the High and Circuit Courts to assess the impact on these courts of the alteration in the court jurisdiction levels introduced by the Courts Act, 1991 is almost completed. When I have the full findings of the review before me I will be in a position to recommend to the Government any reallocation of resources to expedite the hearing of cases in the courts which may be warranted.
