Covid-19 impacting on criminal cases as number of courts not sitting this week

Court reporter

The ongoing rise in Covid-19 infections is affecting serious criminal cases with a number of Dublin courts not sitting this week.

At least three courts at the Criminal Courts of Justice were not able to sit as a result of parties involved in cases having to isolate due to Covid-19.

A murder trial running at the Special Criminal Court has been delayed since last week due, it is understood, to one of the sitting judges having to isolate as a result of “falling foul” of the virus.

On Monday, the sentencing of a violent domestic assault at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court did not go on with a judge absent. The same judge is also hearing the trial of a three men accused of indecent assault.

On Tuesday the sentence hearing of a convicted rapist for a separate random street attack on a woman in 2011 could not proceed because it is understood that some parties in the case are isolating.

And a sentence hearing at the Central Criminal Court will not go ahead later this week as the judge is isolating, it's understood.

In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, a spokesman for the Courts Service said “A number of hearings due to be held in Dublin’s CCJ on Tuesday were adjourned for a week as a number of people involved in those cases were unavailable due to Covid-19 related absences.

“The Courts Service continues to respond to Covid-19 in accordance with our Covid-19 safety management programme, public health and government advice to ensure we keep courts open and safe.”