Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2026
683. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his attention has been drawn to the significant number of High Court cases which are awaiting judgments for periods in excess of two years; if he receives updates on such matters from the Courts Service; and to outline the contents of any such recent reports. [45529/26]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions. Furthermore, the scheduling of High Court cases and the allocation of court business is a matter for the President of the High Court and the presiding judge who are, under the Constitution, independent in the exercise of their judicial functions.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that there are 18 High Court cases awaiting judgments for periods in excess of two years.
It is preferable, for the purposes of legal certainty, to have judgments delivered as quickly as possible. The Courts Service has advised, however, that the time taken to deliver a judgment from the date it is reserved varies from case to case and may depend on a number of factors including the complexity or duration of the case, or the workload of an individual judge. The matter may also be awaiting a determination from another court such as the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court or the European Court of Justice.
