High Court judges 'ready and willing' to travel to Limerick to hear murder and rape trials
THE COURTS Service of Ireland has confirmed plans are being drawn up facilitate more sittings of the Central Criminal Court in Limerick.
There has been strong criticism in political and legal circles in recent weeks and months over the limited use of Limerick Courthouse at Mulgrave Street to hear rape and murder trials meaning victims, gardai and witnesses have to travel to Dublin or Cork for trials.
Earlier this week, High Court judge Mr Justice Paul McDermott insisted members of the judiciary are willing to travel to Limerick to preside over trials but that they have been informed the state-of-art facilities are not available.
The courthouse at Mulgrave Street includes six separate courtrooms, four of which are capable of dealing with jury trials. Since Covid restrictions have been eased, there have been daily sittings of Limerick District Court while two circuit judges have been sitting on most days during the current legal term.
During a call-over of cases at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin on Monday, Mr Justice McDermott refuted claims made by Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny in Dáil Éireann that judges are not willing to travel outside of their area to hear cases.
He said there was "no question" of any judge of the High Court not being willing to travel to hear a case. "In the specific case of Limerick, that court is not available and if it were available, we would travel there."
The courts are very aware of the "extreme distress" that these cases can cause for victims of crime, he added.
In response to a query from Limerick Live, a spokesperson for the Courts Service said it's expected that Limerick courthouse will be available for Central Criminal Court trials from next Easter.
He said that following Covid, it was agreed that Cork Courthouse would hold one circuit court and one Central Criminal Court trial at a time, and that Limerick would hold two circuit court trials at a time.
"Those arrangements, allowed the Central Criminal Court to continue to sit outside Dublin and allowed Limerick Circuit Court trials to continue apace, and tackle a backlog which had built up there," he stated.
"Plans are being discussed to return Central Criminal Court sittings to Limerick after Easter next year. At that stage Cork can then use its courtrooms to hear Circuit trials," he added.
Fine Gael senator Maria Byrne, who has raised the matter directly with the Minster for Justice says having trials in Limerick will be of particular benefit to victims of sexual crimes.
She says she has been engaging with victims groups on the matter and remains hope the timeline to bring trials to Limerick can be expedited.
Speaking in the Seanad earlier this year she pointed out that many women who have been the victim of a sexual crime feel if they could go home at night and sleep in their own bed, they would feel more supported because their family and peers would be there with them and they would have a lot of support.
Barrister Cian Kelly says moving more Central Criminal Court trials to Limerick makes absolute sense.
"There are enough cases in the system, from Limerick Clare and Kerry, to keep the court sitting in Limerick on a permanent basis for the next couple of years and everybody is willing to work with the Courts Service to keep the court busy and from our perspective what's happening at present makes no sense," he told Limerick Live.