Minister McEntee launches the Courts Service Annual Report 2019
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Justice and Equality, Helen McEntee TD, has today welcomed the continued adaptability of our Courts to meet the challenges of a changing society, and commended the Courts Service, Judiciary and all other stakeholders for their achievements in providing continuity of access to justice throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Speaking at the launch of the Courts Service Annual Report 2019, the Minister welcomed the recent announcements that the Courts are planning to safely expand hearings and thanked the management and staff of the Courts Service and the Judiciary for the work undertaken to progress this.
The Minister said:
"I look forward to drawing on the existing drive and ambition for reform displayed in the Annual Report and Modernisation Programme to deliver on the programme for government which recognises that an independent, impartial, and efficient judiciary and courts system is critical to our democracy.
"The setting up of the Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicator, and the Judicial Council, brings greater transparency in the area of legal costs. The establishment of the Judicial Council is a major landmark development in the history of the Irish judiciary.
"I also met with Angela Denning, the Chief Executive of the Courts Service, who briefed me on the digital agenda across the courts. This will modernise access to justice and will form part of the wider digital agenda I will pursue across the justice sector.
"We also discussed the importance of modernising family law and the development of the Hammond Lane facility.
"As an important step towards the reform of our family court system, I am very pleased that my department could provide additional funds for the Hammond Lane project to go ahead. I am looking forward to the commencement of this project in early course."
Minister McEntee took the opportunity to thank the staff of the Court Service for the excellent service provided to the public. She noted that the 2019 report marked the twentieth year of the Courts Service’s establishment and congratulated the Chief Executive, Ms. Angela Denning, on a successful year as the first female Chief Executive. The Minister also paid tribute to the former Chief Executive of the Courts Service, Mr. Brendan Ryan, for his contribution in laying the groundwork for the current modernisation programme.
The Minister concluded:
"I look forward to working in collaboration with Chief Executive Denning, the Chief Justice the Hon Mr. Justice Frank Clarke, the board members and staff of the Courts Service, together with the Judiciary, to deliver on the ambitious reforms set out in the Programme for Government."
ENDS
A copy of the Courts Service Annual Report 2019 is available here.
The Courts Service Annual Report shows that:
In relation to the Courts and Access to Justice, the Programme for Government commits to: