A GROUP of five practicing lawyers, who are also members of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, have come together across party lines to call for the proposed closure of the local courthouse to be stopped.
The five members, Cllr Jennifer Cuffe (FF), Cllr Liam Dockery (FF) and Cllr Barry Ward (FG), who are all practicing barristers; Cllr Richard Humphreys (Lab), who is a senior counsel; and Cllr Josepha Madigan (FG), who is a practicing solicitor, have made a joint submission to the Courts Service on the issue.
In it, they wrote:
“Such is the strength of feeling on this issue that we have come together from across the political spectrum to express a united view that this closure must be cancelled.
“Many of us have appeared in Dún Laoghaire courthouse over the years and as practicing lawyers and local representatives we are in a particularly good position to comment on the damage the proposed closure will do.
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According to the cross-party group, the closure will have a devastating impact on local solicitors’ firms in Dún Laoghaire.
They claim it will also have a severe and detrimental impact on the local economy.
“Many businesses such as restaurants, cafes, hotels and car parks rely on the spend of the court users,
? their submission states.
“It is not a secret how much retail in Dun Laoghaire has suffered in the last number of years. We fear that this can only result in extracting more from a community that is already on its knees.
“The closure will also seriously inconvenience court users, both professional and members of the public.
“There will be extended travel times for witnesses, gardaà and other interested parties thereby incurring costs on all. There will be added pressure on gardaà where witnesses fail to turn up resulting in defendants escaping justice and necessitating the issuing of more warrants.
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The group also claims that Dún Laoghaire will suffer from
“a deluge of gardai
? being taken up with court matters in further flung courthouses such as Bray and Blanchardstown, thereby increasing the crime rate and leading to a lack of Garda visibility in the Dún Laoghaire area.
The Dublin Solicitors Bar Association (DSBA) has also opposed the move.
A local solicitor and member of the DSBA Task Force, Jonathan Dunphy, said Dun Laoghaire District Court operates five days a week and covers an area with a population in excess of 400,000 people, stretching out to Shankill, Dundrum, through Dun Laoghaire and out to the Merrion gates.
“It deals with adult and juvenile criminal prosecutions, all civil business, save family law, and small claims,
? Mr Dunphy stated.
“The present courthouse, which opened in 1991, has its own District Court office which operates with the court as well as processing warrants, fines, penalties, maintenance payments, stamp duty, and enquiries.
“As a result real efficiencies are achieved in this process and the cost of running the same, circa e38,000, is minuscule in terms of overall budget and court comparisons.
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In a statement the Courts Service said the changes they were proposing were a
“once in a generation opportunity
? to improve the organisation and delivery of District Court business in Dublin.
“Our staff are currently stretched to the limit to meet and maintain existing service levels, and at the same time meet increasing demand,
? the statement reads.
“Consequently we must consider restructuring, reorganisation and prioritisation to ensure that a fully functioning court administration is in place for the people of Dublin.
“While it is fully accepted that the closure of any court office or venue whether in Dublin or elsewhere will inevitably cause inconvenience for some, these proposals will result in improved services for court users in offices and courtrooms which are fit for purpose, have facilities and support services that cannot be provided at suburban venues, and enable people to conduct their business with dignity and privacy.
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The statement adds:
“It is important that anything we do should not unduly impact on access to the courts.
“With no change, we will have to cut back services, our ability to service court sittings will inevitably be affected, and there will be consequential increased waiting times.
“If we do not reorganise there will inevitably be disruption to and cancellation of court sittings. Extensive consultation with all involved is planned and all submissions received will be given full consideration both by the Building Committee and the Board.
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