The remote hearing of certain court cases through video chat is going to be piloted next month.
There has been a huge reduction in hearings in recent weeks to reduce the numbers attending court, but certain urgent cases still have to be heard.
Yesterday, a jury at the Central Criminal Court convicted a woman of murdering her boyfriend in Drogheda.
The only other jury trial still going in the Criminal Courts of Justice is that of Aaron Brady from Crossmaglen, who’s accused of murdering Det Garda Adrian Donohoe.
That continues in legal argument, in the absence of the jury. No new trials are getting on.
The criminal courts are only hearing urgent cases. The same goes for the civil courts, with all non-urgent hearings being adjourned.
The work of the courts must continue however, and today the Chief Justice and the Presidents of each of the court jurisdictions announced plans to trial remote court hearings from Apr 20th to allow some cases to be heard via video link to save bringing parties into the one courtroom.
*Reporting by Frank Greaney
