There are no delays in receiving dates for hearings in the Supreme Court, and outside Dublin the High Court hears 71 per cent of cases within six months of them being ready, according to figures issued by the Courts Service.
In Dublin, most High Court cases involving personal injuries, judicial reviews, family law, asylum, non-jury actions or appeals from the Circuit Court are also heard within about six months of being certified as ready for hearing. Bail motions are heard on the Monday following application.
However, the criminal division of the High Court, the Central Criminal Court, experiences considerable delays despite continuing appeals from the judge sitting there, Mr Justice Carney, for more judges on a semi-permanent basis to help him hear cases. The volume of cases heard here, murder and serious sexual assaults in the main, has been increasing steadily. There was a 38 per cent increase in orders issued by the superior courts last year.
In the Circuit Courts delays in hearing criminal cases vary from four to six weeks in Dublin to up to 12 months in Cork. In civil cases again the delays in Dublin are only four weeks, while they can run to 24 months in Cork, and between 12 and 15 months in Kilkenny. In family law cases, almost all are heard within a year.