A few years ago there were concerns, which sometimes resurface, that the Courts Service might close the District Court in Newcastle West and transfer its sittings elsewhere. The only logical venue would be Limerick city, which would raise a number of problems for the Courts Service, lawyers and their clients.
It appears unlikely, at least for now, and in the past year some areas have been added to the Newcastle West district. Court sittings have also been reorganised. Other districts have not been so lucky and have lost out on their local court house.
The West Cork Bar Association has recently been granted leave by the High Court to challenge the closure of the court in Skibereen.
The West Cork District Court area extends from Kinsale westwards as far as Castletownbere. In recent years, there has already been seven local courts closed by the Courts Service in the West Cork area, the most recent being Kinsale District Court which sat for the last time on December 19.
The West Cork Bar Association issued a statement yesterday saying solicitors were concerned court closures were seriously eroding access to justice for people living in the region. The organisation said that if more closures were allowed to proceed, the people of West Cork would face travelling long distances to Cork City to deal with district court matters, when under the Constitution, the State has to provide courts of local and limited jurisdiction.
Solicitors pointed out that vulnerable citizens, who require the urgent assistance of the district court, such as in a domestic violence situation, will find it much more difficult to access the help and protection they need.
I mentioned previously a High Court judgment which dismissed a challenge brought by solicitors in New Ross area against the temporary relocation of court sittings to Ardcavan. The challenge was on public interest grounds and on the basis that the move threatened the applicant’s right to earn a living.
In that case, the Courts Service argued that solicitors do not have locus standi (a legal interest) to challenge the closure. Mr Justice Hedigan rejected that argument:
I accept that as solicitors practising in the relevant area they have a strong interest in the decision sought to be quashed both in their own and their clients interest. The question is fairly posed “if they do not have locus standi – who does?” The fact their interest coincides with the public interest does not, it seems to me, alter anything. In my view, the applicants have the requisite locus standi to challenge the decision made.
However, in the New Ross case the transfer was originally intended to be temporary due to an “urgent need” where the courthouse was “unsafe or otherwise unusable” and therefore the challenge was dismissed. Mr Justice Hedigan’s decision obviously leaves the wider questions open:
- is a court closure an attack on the constitutional right of local solicitors to earn a living; and
- is a court closure an attack on the constitutional right of citizens to have access to justice?
We might get an answer from Skibereen.
A Clatter of the Law 
It was once suggested that all county District Court business be conducted at the new Kilmallock District Court.
Most likely the Newcastle West Circuit Court business would then have to be conducted there as well.
Such foolish ideas would almost certainly guarantee that many defendants would not appear. To those without transport, getting to Kilmallock and back from , say, Abbeyfeale or Athea, would be a logistical nightmare, and involve an overnight trip for those relying on Bus Éireann.
Maybe legal advisers could cram their clients into their vehicles? Or defendants could stay away and wait until a Bench Warrant is issued, and the Gardaí could provide free transport to court?
Court closures make justice inaccessible for those it should serve.
Is this a a new example of justice being only available to those who have the financial means to ‘buy’ it?