High court case involving blood samples causing delays to Limerick drug and drink driving cases

IN ONE sitting of Newcastle West District Court, 15 cases were not heard due to the High Court ruling on blood specimens for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In August of 2025, the High Court overturned a conviction for drink driving on the basis that the chain of custody for a blood sample could not be proven.

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In that instance, Ms Justice Sara Phelan quashed the district court conviction, which had included a two-year driving ban and a fine.

In that case, the blood sample was taken to a garda station and posted to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety the next day.

However, the High Court judge found that garda evidence did not account for the storage or security of the blood sample before it got to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety.

The judge ruled that the chain of custody could not be presumed.

At the time, it was predicted by solicitors and barristers that this would have a significant impact on cases coming through the district court.

Now, more than six months on, any cases which rely on blood samples cannot be heard.

This is adding to the case loads in district courts and causing significant delays in rulings and potential convictions.