Lawyers to complain over court relocation

A group of family lawyers are to write to the Courts Service to complain about the “grossly unsatisfactory” setting for family law cases in Cork City which were prompted by the redevelopment of another courthouse.

With the proposed redevelopment of the the court in Anglesea St, family law cases have been switched from the courthouse on Washington St as that building hosts criminal and other cases.

The move has meant that for the past month, family law cases are being heard across the street in Courthouse Chambers, in rooms that were previously used for lectures.

A number of legal professionals have criticised conditions there, claiming sometimes sensitive family law cases are being heard in cramped conditions with parties on either side of a case in close proximity before the case is heard.

Solicitor Rachel O’Toole said she believed her clients had been “failed by the Department of Justice”.

“I believe that arrangements should be immediately put in place to ameliorate the appalling conditions currently in place,” she said. “Marital and family breakdown is extremely stressful and difficult for those involved and court conditions should respect the privacy and dignity of individuals.”

Ms O’Toole said there was one waiting room for people involved in cases that “can involve levels of high emotion, tension and anxiety”. She said consultation rooms were some distance from the court, and that sometimes various parties in the same case can face a wait of up to six hours, in close proximity, for the case to be heard.

The situation was amplified on on Tuesday this week when two separate court lists had to be held together in the Chambers building because a judge had been absent the previous day.

A spokesman for the Courts Service said this was a “one-off” situation that was unlikely to be repeated.

The spokesman said the Courts Service was aware of concerns but stressed: “There is no issue with capacity at all [in that building].” He said given that cases have only been heard in the building in recent weeks there was “always going to be tweaking to be done” but he added: “We will be working with solicitors and will schedule cases apart from each other so there will not be a bottleneck.”

But the chairman of the Cork Family Lawyers Association, Noel Doherty, said members of the body were currently being canvassed regarding their views on the use of the Chambers building for cases. He described the setting for cases as “grossly unsatisfactory”.

“The CFLA are polling practitioners to get their opinion on the issues that have arisen and we intend to make representations [to the Courts Service] on receipt of the results of the poll,” he said.

Mr Doherty said conditions in the Chambers building were “quite unsafe” and added: “It appears to me that it is often the case that family law gets the short end of the stick in the courts services.”

The redevelopment of the Anglesea St court is expected to take between 18 months and two years.

A spokesman for the Cork City Fire Brigade said a fire safety certificate was pending for the building but added that there were no concerns over its suitability.