A HUSBAND and wife who shave not spoken to each other for almost two years despite sharing a marital home must wait for at least another 12 months before the Circuit Family Court can sort out their affairs, it was learned yesterday.
"Their marriage has broken down completely. They are just two of many holding out in similar circumstances in the marital home for a judicial determination relating to family, finance and home", a source in the Four Courts said.
Broken families can only hope that the appointment of seven Circuit Court judges next month will quickly reduce the waiting period of more than two years.
It is believed that a new method of listing cases for hearing in all of the Circuit Civil Courts is to be introduced soon in order to reduce judicial manpower wastage.
Yesterday, owing to the collapse of brief lists, four judges, including the Circuit Court President, Mr Justice Frank Spain, were left with no cases to hear only minutes after they sat.
A recent survey revealed that over the past 18 months between 80 and 90 per cent of cases listed for hearing in the Circuit Civil Court have been settled on the morning of the court hearing, often leaving some judges with no cases to hear.