Children's Court defendants excused from court appearances over Covid-19

Teenagers due to appear before the Children’s Court in Cork today did not have to turn up to face the cases which were all adjourned.

Inspector Brian O’Donovan said that as a result of decisions made by the Courts Service in response to Covid 19, efforts were made by gardaí yesterday and early today to notify defendants they did not need to attend court in person if they had a legal representative.

It did not prove possible to contact all accused persons due before the juvenile court in Cork yesterday and some of them did attend in person.

Forty-four cases were listed before Judge Mary Dorgan today relating to 15 different defendants, some with multiple cases.

Five defendants did appear in court along with a parent and their legal representative. Most of those due to appear were not in court and were represented in their absence by their solicitors.

As a result of the changes introduced in response to the Coronavirus, most of today’s cases was adjourned until June 12 with the defendants remanded on continuing bail.

Most of yesterday’s charges related to shoplifting, theft of cars or public order offences.

Only one defendant had been remanded in detention to appear in court today. He was remanded in further detention for another fortnight to Oberstown detention centre in Dublin. This teenager faces charges related to the alleged theft of cars.

It is planned that the juvenile court will sit as usual next Friday and each Friday thereafter with the same provisions applying until further notice in relation to attendance.

Before the changes introduced after Thursday’s Courts Service meeting it would have been required for all defendants to appear in person and be at risk of having a bench warrant issued for their arrest if they failed to appear.