VICTIMS of domestic violence who look for the protection of the courts in Limerick have to wait more than two months for their cases to be heard.
According to the latest Court Services annual report, family law cases have a waiting period of eight weeks while it takes at least nine weeks for applications for barring or protection orders from victims of domestic violence to be dealt with in court.
The 2015 annual report also highlights the fact that people making applications relating to maintenance payments or guardianship face a ten week wait.
In Limerick city, the family law court sits just twice a week with two other dates added every month.
In the county, Newcastle West District Court hears family law matters three days a month while Kilmallock District Court sits twice a month to hear civil family law cases.
Judges hearing family law cases sit at 10.30am with a break for lunch and usually do not sit after 4pm.
District Court Judge Mary Larkin recently said that the family law lists were “bursting at the seams”.
With more than 50 “sensitive” family law cases listed to be heard in one day, Judge Larkin was prompted to say that the family law case lists were excessive and often unmanageable.
In an unusual move, she invited people to write letters of complaint to the Court Services.
In other figures, claimants seeking to sue motor insurers, drivers or others in personal civil claims have to wait for up to seven months to have their case heard after the High Court accepts papers. The seven month wait usually follows anything up to and over two years of investigation, treatment or both post accident or incident.
Appeals against Civil High Court claims are usually heard within two months.
In criminal matters, people accused of murder, once returned from trial by the District Court, will have to wait up to 14 months for their case to be heard.
There is a minimum one and half-year wait for cases to come before the three judge non-jury special criminal court.
At Limerick Circuit Court, criminal cases are usually heard within six months. However some barristers have expressed concerns over procedural delays, especially for people in custody awaiting trial.
Civil cases are listed within nine months of them being initiated through the courts system.
At Limerick District Court, criminal summons are usually heard within 20 weeks while charge sheets are processed to the district court at the next available sitting.
Other figures show;
a 7 per cent increase in personal injury claims
40 per cent decrease on possession orders sought at the high court
21 per cent increase on possession orders sought by banks or lenders
5 per cent increase on people filed as bankrupt
84 per cent increase in debt resolution procedures
11 per cent increase in applications for judicial separation – 71 per cent made by wives at the Circuit Court and 9 per cent by husbands at the High Court
9 per cent increase in applications for divorce
78 applications to dissolve civil partnerships
6 per cent increase in applications relating to domestic violence
10 per cent increase in child care applications
15 per cent decrease in drink driving prosecutions
4 per cent increase in drug offences
73 trials were held at the Central Criminal Court in 2015 with 19 people being convicted of murder and 156 convictions secured relating to rape offences.
Up to September 30, the Court Service was managing €1.534 billion on behalf of minors and other beneficiaries.
Almost €13.5 million was collected in court fines; €18 million in family law payments and just short of €1.5 million in court poor box payments.
