More judges are urgently required for the planning and environmental division of the High Court which has seen an “enormous” increase in cases over the past year, the president of the High Court has said.
The court, to which three judges are allocated full time, had a list of 143 live cases in October 2023, and that number soared by 73 per cent to 247 live cases by early November 2024.
The court is dealing with “an enormous increase” in its caseload and demands for hearing dates for those cases, and needs more resources and judges to keep pace with the demand, Mr Justice David Barniville said.
He issued the call in a statement on Thursday announcing the establishment, on a pilot basis, of a new users’ group for the court.
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The users’ group, chaired by Mr Justice Richard Humphreys, the judge in charge of the planning and environment court, is being established on a pilot basis for six to 12 months, and will hold its first meeting on Thursday.
Its primary function is to serve as a forum for dialogue between the court and stakeholders on practice and procedure issues relevant to the efficient functioning of the court.
The group includes people drawn from county councils, An Bord Pleanála, Environmental Law Ireland, the legal professions and court registrars. Members will participate on an individual, not a representative, capacity.
Mr Justice Barniville expressed appreciation for the efforts of the court’s judges in seeking “innovative solutions” to address the demands on it.
“Strong case-management, prioritisation of more urgent cases and setting shorter hearing times, especially for cases that need expedition, are indispensable tools to achieve the timely processing of cases,” he said.
He said the court deserves more resources, and the appointment of additional judges as decided by the outgoing government in November “is awaited and urgently required”. He also hoped new rules for the court would be soon approved by the Superior Courts Rules Committee “to work alongside useful practice directions”.
He was very pleased that stakeholders “are willing to engage with the court to maintain the momentum on creative solutions to keep the business of the court moving in this critical area”.
Mr Justice Humphreys said he was delighted at the response from stakeholders to the request for participation in the users’ group. Dealing with the caseload “demands creativity and a careful allocation of limited judicial resources, not leisurely hearings and business-as-usual”, he said.
He said the court has been enthusiastic about developing dialogue with stakeholders, and the users’ group was the next phase of that. “I look forward to working with members as well as continuing the other channels of communication with professional and other bodies.”
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