Carlow based MEP calls for 'more victim centred' approach in domestic abuse cases in courts

District court figures released to Cynthia Ní Mhurchú show that 539 people applied for a domestic violence order in 2022 in the Carlow and Kilkenny district courts and 61% of them were granted by local judges. In 2023, this figure rose marginally and 541 applications for domestic violence orders were made in the district courts in Carlow and Kilkenny with 72% of those being granted.

There was significantly more domestic violence orders applied for in Carlow than in Kilkenny. In 2023, 375 orders were applied for in Carlow whereas only 166 were applied for in Kilkenny. The figures for 2024, up to September 2024, continue that trend with 232 applications for domestic violence orders in Carlow and only 126 such orders applied for in Kilkenny.

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Between 2022 and 2023, the number of domestic violence orders applied for in Carlow rose by 6.2% whereas the number of domestic violence orders applied for in Kilkenny fell by 11%

Ireland South MEP, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, herself a former family law barrister, has described these figures as concerning.

She questioned why some Irish towns have recorded enormous increases in the number of victims seeking protection from our district courts. Ní Mhurchú has called on the incoming Justice Minister, Jim O’Callaghan, to prioritise investment in the area of domestic violence and she called for….

More district court judges to deal specifically with family law cases.

Consider allowing victims of domestic violence to apply for initial protection orders online.

More consultation rooms for victims in our district courts

Continued and ongoing training for district and circuit court judges in areas such as domestic violence, coercive control and violence against women.

According to Ní Mhurchú

“So many victims, mostly women, are enduring unthinkable nightmares in their own homes. We need a more victim centred approach. I represented many victims of domestic violence in my past career as a barrister and most were afraid and sometimes didn’t turn up in court. I often had to hold consultations with women on my knees in the foyer of the courthouse – often times with the alleged abuser on the other side of the room. We need to reform our courts to make them more victim centred”

Ní Mhurchú has said she will be requesting a meeting with the incoming Justice Minister, Jim O’Callaghan, to discuss what further actions can be rolled out to ensure we prioritise the victims of domestic violence in our courts service.