The District Court awarded €2,158,170 in personal–injury cases. 212 possession orders. Possession cases regarding property increased to 1,091 last …
Both the Central and Circuit Criminal Courts experienced an increase of 7% in new cases last year, the Courts Service 2023 annual report shows.
Courts Service chief executive Angela Denning said that the appointment of 24 new judges has had an instant impact, reducing backlogs and waiting times.
The new appointments also supported initiatives such as the Planning and Environment Court and administration associated with the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, she said.
The number of cases finalised increased by 10% in the Central Criminal Court and 5% in the Circuit Court.
Waiting times down
Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell in his foreword to the report said: “This increased throughput reflects further progress in alleviating waiting times which had built up during the years of the pandemic.”
The Central Criminal Court volume of cases on hand remains 61% higher than in 2019, with a 56% increase in new cases in 2023 in comparison with 2019.
O’Donnell said that the Courts Service is now close to reaching its 25th birthday and is now a mature and constantly-evolving organisation.
The significant reform of the centuries-old wards of court system saw, during the first eight months of 2023, 413 applications to the Circuit Court, resulting in 270 orders.
The 2015 Capacity Act also provides for the discharge of all adult wards of court from wardship within three years from 26 April 2023.
High Court case-management
There were 12,901 new cases in the High Court during 2023 – an almost 5% increase. In October 2023, a new High Court case-management system was launched.
O’Donnell said he was pleased to see the appointment of 24 new judges in 2023.
Almost 550,000 new cases came before the courts in 2023.
Asylum cases doubled
Asylum cases more than doubled on the previous year. A total of 779 asylum judicial-review cases lodged with the High Court last year represents a 132% increase year on year.
The High Court saw an 8% increase in new cases while there was a 25% increase in applications for domestic violence-protections over a five-year period.
Drugs cases down
Drugs cases were down by 10.5% over five years and larceny, fraud and robbery charges were down 10% over five years.
Drugs accounted for 29,809 new cases before the District Court last year, down from 30,045 in 2022, and over five years down from 33,242 in 2019.
Public-order and assault cases down 9% since last year.
Road traffic accounted for 170,839 new cases in 2023 – almost a 25% reduction over five years.
A total of 3,211 new sexual offences were received by the District Court last year – down from 3,600 on 2019, an 11% reduction.
367,000 new criminal matters
A total of 367,000 new criminal matters were presented to the courts last year and 338,000 cases were finalised.
The number of offences of more serious crime reduced from 21,024 in 2022 to 19,569 offences in 2023.
The courts finalised cases relating to 26,486 serious offences last year – up from 24,242 the previous year.
Likewise, at District Court level – despite a small decrease in less serious crime incoming, the court disposed of 338,392 cases last year – up from 308,315 in 2022.
The Central Criminal Court saw a three quarters increase in the number of cases dealt with compared to five years ago, partly due to the use of modern court facilities outside of Dublin.
Last year the Central Criminal Court sat in Waterford, Limerick, Kilkenny, Wexford, Longford, Sligo, Castlebar, Carrick-on-Shannon, Mullingar, Tullamore, Monaghan and Cork.
539 sentences for rape
A total of 539 sentences for rape (including attempted rape) were handed down last year in the Central Criminal Court following trials involving 741 offences and 101 defendants.
Sentences ranged from life sentences in 42 cases; over ten years in 290 cases; between five to 10 years in 135 cases; two to five years in 34 cases; and up to two years in 38 cases.
And 62% of the 539 sentences handed down for rape (including attempted rape) range from ten years to life imprisonment.
The District Court sent 16,875 more serious offences to the Circuit Court last year, involving 6,271 defendants.
510 acquittals
Of the cases resolved by the Circuit Court 13,229 offences saw a guilty plea, 758 saw conviction following a trial, with 510 acquittals (along with other outcomes).
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