Report recommends changes to court jurisdiction

A report on the jurisdiction of the Irish courts is expected to recommend that straightforward rape and murder cases be heard in the Circuit Court rather than the Central Criminal Court.

The report was compiled by a working group of lawyers and senior judges chaired by Supreme Court Justice Niall Fennelly.

If the recommendation is adopted, it would significantly reduce the current waiting time of almost two years for the hearing of serious cases in the Central Criminal Court.