Worries of 'listening device' at Cork court after hearing aid picks up private talk between barristers

A solicitor at the Criminal Courts of Justice on Anglesea Street in Cork heard voices on his hearing aid when he left a courtroom which he then discovered were of barristers talking on another floor of the building

Concern was expressed about what was later described as a 'listening device' found under one of the panels in the ceiling, which was later found to be a loop induction for hearing aids.

A conversation between barristers in the privacy of the bar room of the Criminal Courts of Justice on Anglesea Street in Cork was overheard by another lawyer wearing his own hearing aid — prompting concerns that there was “a listening device” under a panel in the ceiling of the room.

The Courts Service on Friday dismissed the notion of any such listening device being secreted in the ceiling, stating that it was a loop induction for hearing aids and that this has now been deactivated as a result of complaints about the matter.

A solicitor on the fourth floor of the building which was designed, built, financed and is being maintained by BAM for 25 years as part of the Courts Bundle PPP project, heard voices on his hearing aid when he left a courtroom on Wednesday at the Anglesea Street courthouse.

The solicitor, Aidan Desmond, recognised the voices and went to the bar room where he informed colleagues that he could hear them talking to each other even though he was on another floor of the building.

Concern was expressed about what was later described as a “listening device” found under one of the panels in the ceiling. 

Loop induction hearing system

However, a spokesperson for the Courts Service dismissed this idea and said: “It isn’t a listening device, it’s a loop induction for hearing aids.” 

The spokesperson stated: “The Courts Service provides loop induction hearing systems in its courthouses to enable people using hearing aids better hear proceedings and meetings. Part of this technology is the wearing of a device, provided by us, and usually worn with a neck lanyard.

"Recently in Anglesea Street a lawyer wearing one of these devices left the courtroom while still wearing this device and went to another area in the building. There are two hearing systems in many courthouses. 

"Firstly, there is the infrared system — this ensures that users can only hear proceedings within the confines of the courtroom. Users need to wear a special lanyard which the hearing aid connects to. The system works on a line of sight only which ensures that it only works in the direct area concerned (i.e. courtroom).

“The second system is a standard hearing loop system. The solicitor who had their hearing aid set to the hearing loop system in the courtroom left the courtroom whereupon the infrared system stopped working (as designed) and his hearing aid instead picked up the “other” looped system on the floor directly beneath him. When we were informed of this, we turned off the system.

“It will remain turned off in future unless we are specifically asked for it to be used.” 

Concerns

Solicitor Aidan Desmond who heard the conversation said that there was no reason for having an induction loop in the bar room given that it is a relatively small room and would not require such technology in his view.

“I would have concerns. We have conversations in those rooms which are sensitive. We might be discussing strategies with a client, talking about things we might not necessarily want the world to hear.

“We are representing people in particularly trying circumstances and sometimes we let off a little steam in those rooms.

“That those conversations could be heard is a breach of trust, a breach of privacy and it sets the profession on the back foot in relation to doing our jobs,” Mr Desmond said.

At lunchtime on Wednesday, he heard voices he knew very clearly on his own hearing aid when he stepped out of court on the floor above the barristers’ room.