Courts cuts jeopardise justice, say judges

A GROUP including the Chief Justice and Presidents of the High, Circuit and District Courts warned the Government that cuts to the Courts Service “pose a very serious threat to the administration of justice”.

However, in spite of the warning from the Courts Service Finance Committee, the Courts Service has confirmed it has received an overall cut of 9% in funding for next year.

Documents released by the Department of Justice as part of the Government’s comprehensive review of expenditure reveal that the Finance Committee told Justice Minister Alan Shatter that “the cuts imposed, both to date and planned, pose a very serious threat to the administration of justice and are disproportionate to cuts imposed on other agencies”.