Lenihan proposes changes to courts system

Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan is today giving his backing to the setting up of local family law courts.

According to comments in this morning's Irish Times newspaper, Lenihan believes that the country could be divided in to three family law circuits, with local courts hearing child custody and divorce proceedings.

Lenihan has also indicated his intention to streamline the asylum process.

All three grounds under which a person can currently seek asylum are to be combined in to a single application form, so that applicants will be processed more quickly.