A total of 46 men appeared before a special sitting of Mullingar District Court today in connection with a public disturbance in the Dalton Park area of the town in July of last year.

ONE of the maddening aspects of Ireland’s legal system is the sight of notorious gangland criminals, thugs who clearly have significant assets, being granted free legal aid by the courts.

EIGHT people were brought to court on assault and public order charges last night in Westmeath after a riot involving up to 200 people at a local housing estate.

The Courts Service has strongly criticized the comments made last week by a district court judge in Tullamore.

A 19-YEAR-OLD man was last night charged with the murder of a mother-of-two in Co Longford.

By CALLING for an internal investigation by the Garda Commissioner into the garda handling of a case before him, District Court Judge John Neilan may have done a public service, but in a direction which he may not have intended, or anticipated.

Gardaí have confirmed that the Commissioner Noel Conroy has assigned a Chief Superintendent to examine the circumstances surrounding the broadcast of footage on RTÉ yesterday relating to a speeding case in Mullingar.

Three men arrested in connection with the hijacking of a lorry carrying €300,000 worth of vodka were today remanded in custody with consent to bail.

AN outspoken judge silenced a courtroom once more by telling domestic violence victims they are asking to be abused again.

GARDA representatives want an independent examination of the troubled PULSE computer system which is used to record offences.

THE garda PULSE computer system has “collapsed”, a district court has heard.

THE BITTER row between Justice Minister Michael McDowell and a District Court Judge intensified last night as the minister insisted he had done absolutely nothing wrong.

Minister for Justice Michael McDowell rejected a judge’s accusation today that he was interfering in the judicial process.

A district judge has accused Minister for Justice Micheal McDowell of interfering in the judicial process, and has said he will refuse to hear any drink-driving cases for six months.

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell has labelled proposals by a District Court judge to imprison convicted drink drivers for a week before sentencing as unlawful and unconstitutional.

A judge went beyond his powers when he warned drink-drivers they would all be automatically locked up, Justice Minister Michael McDowell said today.

The Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has spoken out against a proposal by a District Court judge to jail all drink drivers for seven days on remand.

THE National Safety Council (NSC) yesterday rejected a district judge’s claim its TV ads of horror car smashes “are not working” in the campaign to reduce road deaths.

A second judge has apologised for comments made against non-nationals.

A CIRCUIT court judge yesterday apologised for an “improper” remark to a Nigerian woman who appeared before his court last month.

A DISTRICT court judge who sparked controversy over his remark that shopping centres might ban ‘coloured people’ has been defended as exceptionally hard-working.

A man appeared in court today charged with murdering a pensioner and seriously injuring his elderly brother in an attack at a remote Offaly farmhouse.