The Courts Service is the
national council of the judiciary
In the European continental judicial tradition, the national councils of the judiciary are institutions that ensure the self-management of the judiciary and the effective delivery of justice, which are autonomous or independent of the executive a ...
of Ireland. It is a
statutory corporation
A statutory corporation is a government entity created as a statutory body by statute. Their precise nature varies by jurisdiction, thus, they are statutes owned by a government or controlled by national or sub-national government to the (in ...
which provides administration and support services to the
Courts of the Republic of Ireland. It was established in 1999 by the ''Courts Service Act 1998''. Its head office is at Phoenix House,
Smithfield, Dublin
Smithfield () is an area on the Northside of Dublin. Its focal point is a public square, formerly an open market and common, now officially called Smithfield Plaza, but known locally as Smithfield Square or Smithfield Market. Historically, Smithf ...
.
Functions
The ''Courts Service Act 1998'' assigns the Courts Service the following functions:
* managing the courts,
* providing support services for the judges,
* providing information on the courts system to the public,
* providing, managing and maintaining court buildings, and
* providing facilities for users of the courts.
The Court Service has no function in relation to the actual administration of justice. Judges themselves are directly employed by the state and not by the Courts Service.
Corporate structure
The day-to-day management of the Courts Service is conducted by its Chief Executive who is appointed by the Board of the Courts Service. The Board of the Courts Service is made up of the following:
[Section 11 of the Courts Service Act 1998 as amended by Section 57 of the Court of Appeal Act 2014.]
* the presidents of the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
, the
Court of Appeal
A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...
, the
High Court, the
Circuit Court and the
District Court (or judges of those courts nominated by their presidents),
* members of each of these five courts elected by their ordinary members,
* the Chief Executive of the Courts service and a representative of its staff elected by them,
* a practicing barrister and a practicing solicitor nominated by the Chairman of the Bar Council and the President of the Law Society of Ireland respectively,
* a civil servant from the
Department of Justice nominated by the
Minister for Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Just ...
,
* a person nominated by the
Irish Congress of Trade Unions,
* a person nominated by the Minister to represent the consumers of court services, and
* a person nominated by the Minister for relevant knowledge and experience in commerce, finance or administration.
See also
*
Law of the Republic of Ireland
The law of Ireland consists of constitutional, statute, and common law. The highest law in the State is the Constitution of Ireland, from which all other law derives its authority. The Republic has a common-law legal system with a written const ...
References
External links
Courts Service Website
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Government agencies of the Republic of Ireland
National councils of the judiciary
Judiciary of the Republic of Ireland