New ‘buffer’ appeals court urged

Ireland needs a new court of appeal — positioned between the High Court and Supreme Court — to help alleviate delays in the hearing of appeals from the commercial court, Chief Justice Susan Denham said yesterday.

Speaking at the Institute of Directors’ spring lunch, Chief Justice Denham said the benefits to a commercial case of speedy procedures in the Commercial Court are lost if there is delay in the Supreme Court, where the average time for disposal of a case is 22 weeks.

“Such delays continue despite our Supreme Court being one of the busiest in the world, and despite the court deciding on many multiples of the number of cases compared to final courts of appeal in many larger countries,” she said.