Four Courts judgments hit 7,100

DURING a very difficult year for the economy the number of judgments registered in the Four Courts in Dublin shot up to over 7,100.

That is close to a third higher than the 5,458 judgments registered in 2009.

New figures just published paint an even more dramatic figure when the value of judgements are included.

It shot up from €298 million in 2009 to €526m last year and that contrasts with a total figure of €67m just five years ago.

The growing interest of lenders and consumers in such information at a time of crisis showed through in the rapid rise in the number of times searches were carried out on trustonline.org.uk (Ireland) which was up nearly 80% on the previous year at 6,889, a statement issued by the company said yesterday.

Trustonline gives details of many judgments from circuit and district courts in addition to those selected for registration.

“Comparisons may be skewed because the Courts Service decided late last autumn to deny public access to this court information,” the statement said.

Malcolm Hurlston of Registry Trust, providers of the online service, said:

“Judgment information plays a vital part in sensible lending and economic recovery. The rapid increase in the number and value of judgments registered is proof of their importance at this point.

“It is incomprehensible that the Courts Service should have hindered progress by denying access to our agents and to the general public.

“We are challenging their decision in the public interest. It is a decision which is damaging to the economy and at odds with the practice in every other jurisdiction where we help the public.”

Last night a spokesman for the Courts Service denied the claims adding the row is ongoing for sometime.

It goes back to last year when the Court Service “got legal advice that public access to the files and papers in relation to judgments in debt matters had no legal status.”

The spokesman said that “all registered judgments are accessible at the offices of the High Court in Dublin.”

It is understood the Court Service was concerned that in the absence of registered judgments people accessing such files could draw incorrect conclusions about individual cases.