Mobile phones confiscated in court

A judge has warned the public coming to court that mobile phones will be confiscated unless they are switched off in his court room.

A ban on mobile phone use by the public was introduced last November, but breaches of the direction still occur.

Yesterday, two mobile phones were confiscated from members of the public sitting in Killarney District Courtroom after the phones rang loudly during proceedings at the regular first Tuesday sitting of the court, which is part of District Number 17.

Last November, the chief justice, Frank Clarke, announced a ban on texting or using social media in courtrooms. Phone use is confined strictly to bona fide members of the press and lawyers.

A spokesperson for the courts service said the direction applies to all courts and mobile phone use by members of the public is banned in all courts.

Bona fide members of the press were allowed phone use because they knew the rules that applied to court proceedings and court reporting and what they can and cannot tweet, the spokesman said.

Most people coming into court made sure phones were off, the courts service spokesman said. However, phones going off and interrupting the court still occurs in Kerry during court proceedings, at both district and circuit court levels.

Yesterday two phones were confiscated in the District Court in Killarney after Judge David Waters ordered gardaí to “seize” the loudly ringing phones.

The judge then issued a general warning to the public to switch the phones off or they would be confiscated.

“Don’t text or look at phones in court,” said Judge Waters.

The confiscated phones were handed back at the end of the proceedings.