Vol. 492 No. 4
308 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if members of the public have a right to inspect the orders of the courts in civil and criminal cases; and, if so, the place where these orders are available for inspection. [14392/98]
Under section 65 of the Court Officers Act, 1926, the position is that court documents are at the order and disposal of the presiding judge, and court officials are subject to the direction of the judge in matters relating to the custody of documents or the release of information which they contain. The courts are, subject only to the Constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of their judicial functions and I have no function in the matter.
Orders of the various courts are filed in the offices attached to those courts. Only parties to the relevant proceedings and their legal representatives, and persons authorised by the presiding judge, may inspect those orders.
