Courts service handles 750,000 cases in 2001

The Courts service handled almost 750,000 cases last year, an increase of 15% on the previous year, according to its latest annual report.

The most marked increase was in the number of cases before the Circuit Criminal Courts, which rose by 50%.

The Courts Service said this increase has caused serious delays, with an average of 16 months elapsing before cases came to trial in 2001.

The report also showed that the courts collected more than €29m in fines and fees in 2001, while over €20m was spent on refurbishing court buildings.